New Delhi [India]: President Droupadi Murmu has granted sanction to prosecute RJD Chief and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav under provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code in the ongoing land-for-jobs money laundering case, official sources confirmed on Thursday.
The sanction has been granted under Section 197(1) of the CrPC (now Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023), enabling formal prosecution.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following a CBI FIR which alleged that Lalu Yadav, while serving as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, appointed candidates to Group D posts in exchange for land parcels. These properties were allegedly acquired in the names of his family members, directly or through shell companies.
The CBI has already filed three charge sheets in the case, while the ED filed a prosecution complaint on January 8, 2024, against Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti, Hema Yadav, and associated firms A K Infosystems Pvt Ltd and A B Exports Pvt Ltd.
A supplementary complaint filed on August 6, 2024, also named Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav. The Special PMLA Court in New Delhi has taken cognizance of these charges.
The case, involving allegations of corruption at the top echelons of political power, continues to unfold as authorities intensify efforts to pursue prosecution.