Clash in court between Kapil Sibal and ASG Raju

5

Lalu Yadav’s land-for-jobs case in Delhi High Court

New Delhi. Hearing was held in the Delhi High Court on Monday on the petition of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to quash the land-for-jobs scam. Yadav was represented in this case by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, while Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju represented the CBI. There was a heated argument between the two lawyers during the hearing.

Arguments and controversies

Kapil Sibal argued that it was mandatory to take prior permission to proceed in the case, which has not been taken yet. He said that CBI had already filed a closure report in this case, hence it is inappropriate to level allegations now. On this, ASG Raju disagreed with Sibal’s arguments and accused him of raising new issues. “Sibal has misinterpreted the law and is making misleading remarks,” he said.

tension increased

Sibal’s anger increased over ASG Raju’s allegations. He said sharply, “How dare you call me a misleader?” In response, ASG Raju said that it is his responsibility to present correct information in the court. Despite journalism being respected in the court, he made allegations that increased tension.

judge’s intervention

Amidst this debate, Sibal also raised questions on Raju’s professional conduct, making the situation more tense. However, ASG Raju calmly said that he respected Sibal, but it was imperative to clarify the legal position. Justice Rarvinder Dudeja tried to calm the atmosphere and said, “Let the atmosphere calm down a bit.” After this the court ended the hearing.

Further steps in the hearing

The High Court directed both the parties to submit their brief written arguments, which would be of maximum five pages. These arguments will be presented within a week, after which the court will consider the matter.

What is the land-for-jobs case?

The CBI alleges that between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister, lands were acquired in the name of his family in exchange for Group-D jobs in the Railways. CBI registered a case in this matter in 2022 and filed a charge sheet against Lalu Yadav and several members of his family. Yadav says that this investigation was initiated without prior permission required under the Prevention of Corruption Act, hence it should be quashed.