Home Ministry Permits Prosecution of Lalu Prasad Yadav in Land for Job Scam

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Friday, September 20, permitted the prosecution of Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in the money laundering case concerning the land for job scam.

The ministry has approved to prosecution of Lalu on the final charge sheet of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the related case.

This development comes as the Dlehi's Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday, September 18, issued summons to several members including Lalu Prasad Yadav and his sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav.

This is the first time when Tej Pratap Yadav has been called in connection with this case. The Delhi court said that Tej's involvement cannot be ruled out, however, he was not initially charged-sheeted, but he was a director at AK Infosys Ltd and has now been summoned.

CBI's Special Judge Vishal Gogne issued a summon to Lalu Prasad Yadav , his two sons, and six other accused. As per reports, the leaders have been directed to appear on October 7. Furthermore, other charge-sheeted individuals have also been summoned.

The court has included Akhileshwar Singh and his wife, Kiran Devi, in its summons.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary charge sheet on August 6, listing 11 accused. Four of these individuals have since died.

The case pertains to Group-D appointments made in the West Central Zone of the railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh , during Lalu Prasad's tenure as the railway minister from 2004 to 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of the RJD supremo's family or associates, according to officials.

The agency registered the case on May 18, 2022, against Prasad and 15 others, including his wife, two daughters, unidentified public servants and private persons. 

(Inputs from PTI)