Delhi Court Refuses Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Demand for 1,600 Unrelied Trial Documents
Delhi court dismisses Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi’s plea for 1,600 unrelied documents in land-for-jobs trial.
A Delhi court on Wednesday rejected pleas from former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife, Rabri Devi, seeking access to over 1,600 unrelied documents to prepare their defence in the ongoing land-for-jobs case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne said that providing the documents en bloc would “place the cart before the horse” and risk throwing the judicial process into “complete disarray.”
The court also dismissed similar applications from two other accused: Lalu Prasad’s personal secretary, R.K. Mahajan, seeking one unrelied document, and former Indian Railways general manager Maheep Kapoor, seeking 23 unrelied documents. Unrelied documents are materials seized by investigating agencies but not included in the prosecution’s complaint.
The land-for-jobs case relates to Group D appointments in the West Central Zone of Indian Railways in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Lalu Prasad’s tenure between 2004 and 2009. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleges that candidates appointed to these positions transferred or gifted land parcels to members of Lalu Prasad’s family or associates in return for jobs. The case was registered on 18 May 2022 against Lalu Prasad, his family, unidentified public officials, and private individuals.
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In a 35-page order, Judge Gogne said the accused could not condition the continuation of the trial on receiving unrelied documents. The court emphasized that the trial must proceed based on relied-upon documents and witness evidence, and that unrelied documents would be provided only if deemed necessary at the appropriate stage. “The prayer for being provided with all unrelied documents is designed to condemn the trial to a maze at the very outset,” the judge wrote.
The court further noted that the accused had already been given adequate opportunity to inspect documents included in the unrelied basket. Rejecting claims of being “flailing in the dark,” the judge stated that the accused could prepare for cross-examination of prosecution witnesses using the 421 relied-upon documents, without waiting for the 1,675 unrelied documents.
Charges against Lalu Prasad and others allege abuse of official position to facilitate appointments in exchange for land transfers. On 9 January, the court framed charges against 41 accused, including Lalu Prasad and his family, while discharging 52 others. Of the 103 individuals named in the CBI chargesheet, five have died.
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