Supreme Court Rejects Lalu Yadav's Plea in Land-for-Job Scam

Supreme Court Rejects Lalu Yadav’s Plea: The Supreme Court has refused to hear Lalu Prasad Yadav’s plea in the “land for job” scam. This case pertains to alleged land acquisition in exchange for jobs during his tenure as Railway Minister (2004-2009).

Land for Job Scam: Lalu Prasad Yadav, the chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and former Chief Minister of Bihar, has suffered a major setback from the Supreme Court (SC) in the alleged ‘land for job’ scam. On Friday, 18 July 2025, the Supreme Court refused to consider Yadav’s petition seeking a stay on the ongoing proceedings in the lower court and the quashing of the FIR and chargesheet in this case. This case relates to the alleged acquisition of land in exchange for jobs during his tenure as Railway Minister (2004-2009).

Supreme Court’s Decision

The bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh dismissed Yadav’s petition, stating that the proceedings in the lower court will continue. However, the court exempted him from personally appearing in the lower court. The Supreme Court requested the Delhi High Court to expedite the hearing on Yadav’s petition to quash the FIR in this case. The court stated in its order, “The personal appearance of the petitioner (Lalu Prasad Yadav) is excused. We request the High Court to expedite the hearing.”

Delhi High Court’s Stance

Earlier, on 29 May 2025, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Yadav’s plea to stay the ongoing proceedings in the lower court. However, the High Court had issued a notice for hearing on his petition to quash the FIR and chargesheet, with the next hearing scheduled for 12 August 2025. Yadav approached the Supreme Court to challenge this interim order.

What is the Case About?

The ‘land for job’ scam is related to the alleged acquisition of land in exchange for railway jobs during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister. The CBI launched an investigation against Yadav and his family in this case. This Supreme Court decision is likely to accelerate the legal proceedings against Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Awaiting the Delhi High Court’s Next Hearing

The hearing scheduled for 12 August in the Delhi High Court will now be crucial, where Yadav’s plea to quash the FIR and chargesheet will be considered. Until then, the proceedings in the lower court will continue uninterrupted.