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‘Land-for-jobs scam’: Delhi HC refuses to quash case against Lalu

Lalu Prasad, who was represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, had argued that the investigation is liable to be held as illegal as the same was initiated without requisite sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

lalu prasadJustice Ravinder Dudeja dismissed the petition by Lalu Prasad in which he sought quashing of the case and all subsequent criminal proceedings, including three chargesheets.

THE DELHI High Court on Tuesday refused to quash the 2022 case by CBI against former Bihar CM and RJD national chief Lalu Prasad in the alleged land-for-jobs scam.

Justice Ravinder Dudeja dismissed the petition by Lalu Prasad in which he sought quashing of the case and all subsequent criminal proceedings, including three chargesheets, on the ground that required procedure to conduct the probe was not followed. Justice Dudeja reasoned that the petition was without any merit.

A detailed order is awaited.

Lalu Prasad, who was represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, had argued that the investigation is liable to be held as illegal as the same was initiated without requisite sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Section 17A of the Act bars a police officer from conducting any inquiry or investigation into the offence committed by a public servant without approval of the competent authority.

Seeking quashing of the three chargesheets in the case, filed on October 7, 2022, July 1, 2023 and June 7, 2024, the RJD leader had argued that once the requisite procedure for conducting the probe was not followed, subsequent criminal proceedings will stand to be bad in law.

In May 2025, Justice Dudeja had refused to stay the trial court proceedings.

The former Railway Minister and his family have been accused by the CBI of enabling the recruitment of candidates for Group D railway substitute jobs who had allegedly transferred them land parcels as a quid pro quo. The CBI has alleged transfer of land at cheap rates to the RJD chief and his family in return for appointments made in Group-D substitute jobs in the Central Railways between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu was the Railway Minister.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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