SC refuses to stay trial in land-for-jobs case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, kin & other accused

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea filed by RJD president Lalu Prasad to stay trial court proceedings in the land-for-jobs case in which he, his kin and other accused stand chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over corruption and conspiracy.

As first reported by ET on Monday, Lalu had moved the SC challenging a May 29 order of the Delhi High Court refusing to stay the trial court proceedings. Refusing to put brakes on the trial, a division bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh on Friday said it would ask the Delhi HC to decide Lalu's plea that seeks quashing of the CBI case. The apex court asked the high court to decide Lalu's plea expeditiously. ET had reported earlier this week that Lalu had moved an application in the trial court seeking to summon old records of the land-for-jobs case investigated by the CBI. The CBI has already concluded its arguments on framing of charges against Lalu, his kin and other co-accused. So far, over 36 accused of the total 103 accused have completed their counter arguments opposing CBI's case.

ET had reported earlier this month that arguing in support of its demand for framing of charges against Lalu, the agency described him as the "kingpin" of the alleged scandal. The CBI has relied on statements of two approvers who have disclosed that they were allegedly pressurised by Lalu to give jobs to select applicants whose names were finalised by Lalu's office.


The agency also relied on statements of several prosecution witnesses who in their individual testimonies have told the agency that the list of applicants selected for jobs was handed over by the then private secretary of Lalu (the then Union railways minister) during the conference of general managers of railways department.

As regards Rabri Devi, daughter Misa Bharti and sons Tejashwi and Tej, CBI had argued that they were "beneficiaries" of land parcels given by applicants in lieu of jobs given illegally to them in the railway department at the behest of Lalu and co-accused.