New Delhi, March 25: The Delhi High Court has rejected a petition filed by Laloo Prasad Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), seeking to dismiss a corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) related to an alleged land-for-jobs scam.
Justice Ravinder Dudejia’s single-judge bench declined to intervene in the FIR, charge sheet, and orders from the lower court. Yadav argued that the CBI did not obtain the mandatory approval required under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act before initiating the investigation against him.
He contended that the absence of such prior approval rendered the registration of the FIR, the investigation, and the filing of the charge sheet illegal and void from the outset. This development is significant, as the Delhi High Court had previously denied a stay on the trial proceedings in this case, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court dismissed Yadav’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) seeking a stay on the trial, stating that the Delhi High Court should decide on this petition. The Supreme Court also noted that the proceedings in the lower court, including the framing of charges, would depend on the decision regarding the dismissal of the petition.
This case pertains to appointments in the Indian Railways, where plots of land were allegedly transferred to family members and associates of the former railway minister. The CBI registered the case in May 2022 against Laloo Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and several others, including family members and unidentified government officials.
Subsequently, charge sheets were filed against several accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. In a related development, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the CBI regarding a separate petition filed by Yadav, challenging the lower court’s order to frame charges against him in this case.
Earlier this year, while framing charges, the lower court stated that a prima facie case of corruption, fraud, and criminal conspiracy exists against Laloo Prasad Yadav and other accused.
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