Delhi, 15 December (H.S.): The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Monday deferred the hearing on framing charges against the accused in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) land-for-job case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne fixed the next hearing for December 19.

During the proceedings, the CBI informed the court that one of the accused had passed away. The court then directed the agency to verify the death and submit a report confirming the status of all remaining accused persons.

On December 8, the CBI had earlier told the court that some of the accused in the case had died. The court, in response, had instructed the agency to verify these details and file a status report. The matter concerning the framing of charges has already been adjourned twice—on November 10 and December 4—for various procedural reasons.

The court had earlier reserved its order on charge framing on August 25.In a related development, RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has filed a petition before the Delhi High Court, seeking to quash the CBI’s FIR and stay the ongoing trial court proceedings.

Meanwhile, Rabri Devi, also an accused, has moved an application before the Principal and District Judge requesting that the case be transferred from the court of Judge Vishal Gogne to another bench. The transfer petition remains pending.

During an earlier hearing before the High Court, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Lalu Yadav, argued that the CBI’s investigation was unconstitutional as it was initiated without the mandatory sanction required for prosecution. He contended that the entire probe and subsequent proceedings were invalid for want of due authorization.

The CBI’s counsel, however, has accused Yadav of deliberately delaying the trial by not cooperating at the stage of framing charges. The Supreme Court, in its July 18 order, had refused to stay the trial court proceedings in the case.

The CBI had filed its first chargesheet in the land-for-job case on October 7, 2022, naming Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, their daughter Misa Bharti, and 16 others. The trial court took cognizance of the chargesheet on February 25.

On June 7, 2024, the CBI submitted its final chargesheet, expanding the list of accused to 78 individuals, including 38 candidates who allegedly secured jobs in the Railways in exchange for land parcels.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar