Fresh trouble is brewing for former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, in the ongoing land-for-jobs case. As per latest news reports, a Delhi court has issued summons to the duo.
The case centres around allegations of corruption during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as the railway minister, where jobs were reportedly granted in exchange for land parcels. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation, individuals were appointed to Group “D” posts across various railway zones in exchange for these land transactions.
In June, the CBI filed a detailed charge sheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav and 77 others, including 38 candidates who allegedly benefited from these appointments. As per the CBI, between 2004 and 2009, jobs were disbursed in return for land, which was either sold or gifted to Yadav's relatives or to a private company controlled by his family.
The appointees, most of whom were residents of Patna, reportedly transferred land to Yadav's family members, enabling them to secure railway positions in cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Jabalpur, Jaipur, and Hazipur. Moreover, the CBI alleges that no public advertisements or official notifications were issued for these positions, raising further concerns about irregularities in the hiring process.
In December 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned Tejashwi Yadav for questioning in connection with the same case. Tejashwi, however, dismissed the summons as a routine matter, stating, “I have always complied. From 2017 to 2023, I have been regularly responding to calls from the ED, Income Tax, and CBI. These agencies are under pressure.”
The CBI initially registered the case on May 18, 2022, naming Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife, two daughters, and various unidentified public and private individuals as part of the investigation into the alleged land-for-jobs scam.