NEW DELHI: A Delhi Court on Wednesday granted bail to ex-railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, ex-Bihar CM Rabri Devi, their daughter-RJD MP Misa Bharti & others accused in land-for-job scam on directions of furnishing Rs 50,000 personal bail bond and a like amount surety.
The Rose Avenue court noted that the chargesheet was filed without an arrest. In the chargsheet filed in October last year, the CBI alleged that irregular appointments had been made in the Railways, in violation of the standards and guidelines established by the Indian Railways for hiring. It also mentioned that that as a quid pro quo the candidates gave Lalu Prasad’s family members land at extremely reduced prices — up to one-fifth of the going market rates — directly or through their close relatives and family members.
The court had on February 27 issued summons to them in the case which concerns alleged appointments made in the Railways in exchange for land parcels given or sold to Lalu Prasad’s family while he served as the Union Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.
” A perusal of the charge sheet and the documents and material on record prima facie shows commission of offences under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), read with sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using forged document as genuine) of the IPC and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Accordingly, cognizance is taken of the said offences,” Special judge Geetanjali Goe had said.