President Clears Prosecution of Lalu Prasad in Land-for-Jobs Case

President Droupadi Murmu has granted sanction to prosecute Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad in the money laundering case linked to the alleged land-for-jobs scam in the railways dating back to 2004-09 when Prasad was the railway minister, officials aware of the development said on Thursday.

- HT Correspondents

NEW DELHI/PATNA:

The RJD, which is the primary opposition party in Bihar, tried to play down the development, with senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Yadav terming the sanction a "procedural matter".

"The prosecution sanction has been accorded against Lalu Prasad, former railway minister, by the President as mandated under Section 197(1) of CrPC (Section 218 of BNSS, 2023) in money laundering case of land-for-jobs in railways," an official said, requesting anonymity.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Prasad and his family members and aides based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over malpractices in railway recruitment during 2004-09, when the RJD chief was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government.