Patna: Following the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi framing charges against 41 accused, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi, senior leaders of the NDA in Bihar have launched sharp attacks on the party leadership and sought their resignations from various posts held by them.
Bihar Cabinet Minister Dilip Jaiswal said that the court’s decision came after examining strong evidence presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“The CBI placed strong evidence before the court against Lalu Prasad Yadav and other accused. The court gave sufficient time to Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family to present their arguments. After hearing both sides, the court passed its order, which must now be accepted by Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members, and all other accused,” Jaiswal said.
JD(U) MLC and Chief Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar went a step further, citing the court’s observations.
“The Rouse Avenue Court has clearly stated that Lalu Prasad Yadav was running a criminal-political syndicate. He is a convicted person and should resign immediately from the post of national president of the RJD,” Kumar said.
Targeting Rabri Devi, Neeraj Kumar alleged that land was taken from her relative in exchange for jobs.
“In the land-for-job scam, land was taken from Rabri Devi’s relative Nata Choudhary to provide employment. Therefore, Rabri Devi should also resign from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council,” he said.
He further added that the list of alleged crimes involving the Lalu family is long and demanded that Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav resign from their respective posts.
The Rouse Avenue Court, presided over by CBI Special Judge Vishal Gogne, framed charges against 41 accused, including Tejashwi Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tej Pratap Yadav, Misa Bharti, and Hema Yadav, after hearing arguments on the CBI’s charge sheet.
The court observed that Lalu Prasad Yadav misused his official position and that the alleged acts were carried out in the manner of a criminal syndicate.
Considering the allegations of taking land in exchange for railway jobs to be prima facie true, charges were framed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
At the same time, the court acquitted 52 accused due to lack of evidence, while allowing the trial to proceed against the remaining accused.
The CBI had named 103 accused in its charge sheet, out of which five have died.
In Friday’s ruling, 52 accused were acquitted, and the remaining accused will now face a full-fledged trial.
During the hearing, all accused except Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi were present in court, including Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, and Misa Bharti.
With the framing of charges, the case has now formally entered the trial stage, keeping the political temperature high in Bihar.
(IANS)
