Lalu Yadav Family Criminal Conspiracy: Were railway jobs distributed on land deals? Delhi Court termed Lalu Yadav and his family as a ‘criminal gang’ and framed charges of corruption and conspiracy. Will legal problems increase now?
Delhi Court On Lalu Yadav Case: A decision of Delhi Court is creating a stir in national politics these days. Keywords like land-for-job scam, Lalu Yadav case, CBI chargesheet and RJD corruption case are again in the headlines. A special court in Delhi has said that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family carried out the conspiracy of taking land in exchange for jobs in the Railways like a criminal gang. This comment of the court is being considered very important not only legally but also politically.
Why did Delhi Court give such a strong statement?
On Friday, special judge Vishal Gogane, while framing charges in the case, said that based on the evidence available, the court has “reasonable suspicion” that Lalu Yadav and his family together carried out a major criminal conspiracy. The court clearly said that this was not an ordinary case, but a well-planned plan to acquire personal property by misusing government position.
What exactly is ‘land-for-job scam’?
According to CBI, this case pertains to between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister at the Centre. It is alleged that Group-D jobs in Railways were given to some candidates and in return they or their relatives were made to transfer land in Patna and other places in the name of members of the Yadav family or companies associated with them.
Was the recruitment process followed?
It has been claimed in the CBI charge sheet that no fixed procedure, advertisement or selection rules were adopted in these recruitments. That is, the allegation is that land, not qualification, was the real price of the job.
Why did the court refuse to acquit?
Lalu Yadav and his family had demanded the court to acquit them of the charges, but the court rejected it. The court said that the documents and witnesses presented by the CBI were enough to show that it was an organized conspiracy in which many people were involved.
How many accused will be tried?
The court said that in this case, out of 98 living accused, charges will be framed against 46 people, while 52 accused have been acquitted due to lack of evidence. Lalu Yadav and his family members are also included in these 46.
What does the Yadav family have to say?
The Yadav family has termed all the allegations as a political conspiracy. He says that the central government and investigating agencies are taking action out of political vendetta. After this decision, it is clear that the land-for-job scam has now reached a decisive legal juncture. Now the question is – will this matter be limited to allegations only or will Lalu Yadav’s problems increase further? Further court proceedings in the coming months may answer this question.