Supreme Court Refuses to Quash CBI FIR Against Lalu Prasad Yadav in Jobs for Land Case
RJD leader gets partial relief as top court exempts him from personal appearance in trial court.
New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court has declined to cancel the CBI case against Lalu Prasad Yadav in the alleged jobs for land scam, dealing a setback to the senior leader.
The court refused to stay the FIR and ongoing proceedings, stating that Yadav can raise his objections regarding the legality of the investigation during the trial. The bench also noted that concerns over lack of proper sanction for the probe can be addressed at the appropriate stage in the lower court.
At the same time, the court granted relief by allowing Yadav exemption from personal appearance during hearings in the trial court.
Yadav had approached the Supreme Court challenging a decision by the Delhi High Court, which had earlier dismissed his plea seeking cancellation of the FIR. The High Court had also upheld three charge sheets filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and validated notices issued by the trial court.
The case is being heard by a bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh. Yadav’s petition seeks to quash corruption charges filed against him and members of his family in connection with alleged irregularities in railway recruitments between 2004 and 2009, when he served as Railway Minister.
Earlier in January 2026, a special court at Rouse Avenue in Delhi had framed charges against Yadav and several others. The court made strong observations, stating that the accused, including Yadav and his family members, operated in a manner similar to a criminal enterprise.
In total, charges have been framed against 41 accused in the case, which continues to draw significant political and legal attention.