New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reiterated its allegations on Wednesday that recruitment for Group D jobs in Indian Railways was manipulated in exchange for land deals involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family. The Rouse Avenue court is currently hearing arguments related to the land-for-job scam.
During the hearing, the CBI contended that a particular school operated without students and existed solely to generate forged educational certificates. These fake certificates, marksheets, and signatures were allegedly used to secure railway jobs fraudulently.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne presided over the session and scheduled the next hearing for June 5. The prosecution was led by Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Advocate DP Singh, assisted by Advocate Manu Mishra.
The CBI argued that some candidates, unable even to write their names, were given jobs in exchange for land. Others who were never enrolled in any school reportedly obtained jobs using fabricated certificates.
Responding to a judicial query, the SPP stated, “The accused committed forgery of educational certificates to show them eligible. They could not write even their name.”
A chart presented by the CBI indicated that land was transferred to Tejasvi Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, for Rs. 50,000, while the market value stood at Rs. 85,000, highlighting undervalued transactions.
Earlier in the week, the court questioned how all applicants for certain Group D railway jobs hailed from just one state, pointing to suspicious recruitment practices.
The accused in the case include former Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members, former government officials, and job seekers.
The CBI alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav granted railway jobs in exchange for land parcels, either gifted or sold at steep discounts. One transaction involved one lakh square feet of land bought for Rs. 26 lakh.
SPP DP Singh highlighted undue pressure to approve applications quickly, with multiple approvals processed the same day without verifying certificates thoroughly. He questioned, “Why does it happen so quickly? The process was so tedious… the certificates were never verified.”
The agency also claimed sufficient evidence of cash transactions linked to the land sales directly or indirectly benefiting Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Notably, on May 31, the Delhi High Court dismissed Lalu Prasad Yadav’s plea seeking to stay the trial court proceedings. (ANI)
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