Land-for-jobs case: Lalu Prasad, sons granted bail by Delhi court

Lalu Prasad Yadav. File Pic

A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to RJD chief and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav in the land-for-jobs money laundering case, reported news agency PTI.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne granted the relief to the accused persons on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each, noting that they were not arrested during the investigation, reported PTI.

The accused appeared before the court in pursuance to summons issued to them by the court earlier in connection with the land-for-jobs case.

The judge had issued the summons after taking cognisance of a supplementary charge sheet against the accused persons, reported PTI.

The final report was filed before the court by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 6, reported PTI.

The ED filed its case based on an FIR lodged by the CBI.

The land-for-jobs case pertains to Group-D appointments made in West Central Zone of the railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh during Prasad's tenure as railway minister from 2004 to 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of the RJD supremo's family or associates, the ED said.

Defeat of Narendra Modi: Lalu Prasad on Haryana exit polls

RJD president Lalu Prasad on Sunday asserted that the victory of Congress in the Haryana assembly elections, as predicted by exit polls, should be viewed as a defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Replying to queries by journalists before boarding his flight to Delhi, the former Bihar Chief Minister said, "Ye paraajay hai Narendra Modi ka (this should be seen as a defeat of Narendra Modi)."

Prasad is expected to appear before a court in Delhi on Monday in connection with the land-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Railway Minister in the previous UPA government. Several of his family members are also named in the case and are likely to accompany him to court.

His eldest daughter, Lok Sabha MP Misa Bharti, accompanied her father and also answered questions from journalists regarding the exit polls, most of which indicated that Congress, an alliance partner of the RJD, is poised to take power from the BJP in Haryana.

Bharti said, "I see it as a victory for the INDIA bloc, of which our party is a part. Haryana is going to get a government of the people (janta ki sarkar)."

The BJP has ruled Haryana for two consecutive terms. Counting of votes in the state is scheduled on Tuesday.

Several exit polls on Saturday predicted a clear majority for the Congress in Haryana.

(With inputs from PTI)