Land for job scam case: CBI files prosecution sanction against three former Railway officials

New Delhi [India], September 21 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday informed Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court that the sanctions against three former Railway officials were also obtained from the concerned authority. 

Noting the submission, the Special CBI judge, Geetanjali Goel, fixed the matter for Friday (September 22) on the point of cognisance of the chargesheet.

As per the CBI, the case also involves Rabri Devi, Tejaswi Yadav, and others. 

Special public prosecutor D P Singh informed the court and filed the Prosecution sanction obtained against three former officials. 

Earlier, the CBI had obtained sanctions against former Union Railway Minister Lalu from the Home Ministry in relation to a fresh Chargesheet in the alleged Land for Job Scam case. 

The CBI filed a chargesheet in the Land for Jobs alleged scam case against former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, including Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others. 

According to the CBI, this is the 2nd chargesheet in the Designated Court against 17 accused, including the then Union Minister of Railways, his wife and son, the then GM of West Central Railways (WCR),  two CPOs of WCR, private persons, private company, etc. in a case related to Land for Job Scam.

The CBI had registered a case on May 18, 2022, against the then Union Minister of Railways and 15 others, including his wife, 2 daughters, and unknown Public servants and Private persons. 

It was alleged that the then Union Minister of Railways during the period 2004-2009 had obtained pecuniary advantages in the form of transfer of landed property in the name of his family members, etc., in lieu of the appointment of Substitutes in Group “D” posts in different Zones of Railways. It was further alleged that in lieu thereof, the substitutes, who were residents of Patna themselves or through their family members, sold and gifted their land situated at Patna in favour of the family members of said Minister and a private company controlled by his family members, which was also involved in the transfer of such immovable properties in the name of said family members. 

It was also alleged that no advertisement or any public notice was issued for such appointments of substitutes in Zonal Railways, yet the appointees who were residents of Patna were appointed as Substitutes in different Zonal Railways located at Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hazipur. 

Searches were earlier conducted at multiple places, including in Delhi, Bihar, etc., said the CBI. 

During the investigation, it was found that the then Union Minister of Railways, with intent to acquire the land parcels situated at the places where his family was already owning land parcels or the places that were already connected to him, entered into a conspiracy with associates and family members and allegedly derived a design to grab the land of various land owners by offering/providing group D employment in Railways, the CBI said. 

The accused had allegedly collected applications and documents of such candidates through associates and then sent those to West Central Railway for processing and providing jobs in railways, and the General Managers of West Central Railways, under the influence /control of the accused, accorded approval for the engagement of candidates.

For providing jobs in the railways, they allegedly devised an indirect way wherein the candidates were engaged first as Substitutes and subsequently regularised. A hard disk containing lists of candidates (who were engaged) was also recovered during searches.

It was further alleged that a land parcel was purchased in the name of a private company for Rs. 10.83 lakh during 2007, and subsequently, the said land, along with some other land parcels purchased by the said company, were brought into the ownership/control of his wife and son of the then Union Minister of Railways by way of a transfer of shares of Rs. 1 lakh only.

At the time of transfer, the company was allegedly owning land parcels purchased at a total cost of Rs 1.77 crore (approx.) and it was transferred for a mere Rs 1 lakh (approx.) only, however, the market value of the lands was much higher.

Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on October 7, 2022, against 16 accused. The investigation is continuing, as the CBI informed the Court.