The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet in the land-for-jobs scam case, naming Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, his father and former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, and mother and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, along with 14 others.
This charge sheet, the second one in the case, has been filed based on new documents and evidence that surfaced after the submission of the first charge sheet, according to officials familiar with the matter. In addition to the Yadav family members, the CBI has also named AK Infosystems and several middlemen as defendants in the case.
The charge sheet has been filed before a special CBI court, as the alleged roles of the accused could not be fully covered in the initial report, officials said.
The CBI alleges that during Lalu Prasad’s tenure as Railways Minister in the UPA Government from 2004 to 2009, candidates were appointed to railway positions without following proper procedures or advertising the vacancies.
It is alleged that these appointments were made as favours, and in return, the candidates or their family members sold land to Lalu’s family at significantly discounted rates.
The land transactions reportedly took place between the candidates or their immediate family members and Lalu’s family, with the locations, including Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur.
The filing of the charge sheet by the CBI signifies a significant development in the investigation into the land-for-jobs scam, shedding light on alleged irregularities and corrupt practices during Lalu’s tenure as Railways Minister.