Delhi HC reserves order on Lalu Yadav’s plea seeking quashing of FIR

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on a petition filed by former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav seeking quashing of an FIR in the alleged land-for-jobs scam case.

Justice Ravinder Dudeja reserved the order after hearing arguments from counsel representing Yadav and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In his petition, Yadav has sought the quashing of the FIR, three chargesheets filed in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and the consequential orders taking cognisance of the case. He contended that the CBI failed to obtain the requisite sanction from the competent authorities before initiating prosecution.

During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Yadav, argued that even according to the CBI, Yadav had acted in his official capacity as the Union Railway Minister. Therefore, prior sanction was mandatory to prosecute him for acts allegedly committed in the discharge of official duties. The CBI opposed the plea, asserting that no sanction was required in the present case.

The court reserved its order and granted time to both parties to file written submissions.

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Lokpal seeks time on Moitra sanction

The Lokpal on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to extend the time to consider granting sanction to the CBI to file a chargesheet against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in the alleged cash-for-query scam. The court said the plea amounts to modification and listed it for January 23. Earlier, the high court had set aside the Lokpal’s sanction order, citing procedural lapses under the Lokpal Act provisions.