Paying for Land Not a Crime, Rabri Devi Defends in Court Over Land-for-Jobs Case

Rapid Summary

• Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi attended Delhi’s Rouse avenue court in connection with the ‘Land for Job’ scam case.
• rabri Devi’s lawyer, Maninder singh, argued that buying land through payment is legal and claimed there was “complete disconnect” between land transactions and Railway jobs allotted.
• The defense emphasized that money was paid for the land purchases and questioned the CBI’s claim that jobs were exchanged for plots of land.
• the central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged in its FIR that during 2004-2009, Group “D” posts in indian railways were manipulated under pressure by then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Land parcels purportedly changed hands as part of this process.
• There are currently 103 accused individuals, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav; four accused have passed away during the trial proceedings.
• Arguments on charges against the accused are ongoing before Special Judge Vishal Gogne.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The ‘Land for Job’ scam highlights an intersection of political authority and allegations surrounding public-sector appointments within Indian Railways-a critical institution.while Rabri Devi’s defense hinges on proving legitimate land transactions unconnected to job allotment fraudulence claimed by CBI findings, issues like transparency in recruitment processes come under scrutiny. If proven true, such allegations could tarnish trust in government institutions while emphasizing potential misuse of power during pivotal roles held by senior political figures.Given widespread attention, this case underscores both accountability mechanisms targeting influential leaders as well as broader implications regarding India’s political ethics framework.

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