The Delhi High Court on Saturday dismissed a plea by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav seeking a stay on the trial court proceedings in the CBI’s land-for-jobs case.

The High Court noted that the matter is already scheduled before the Special Judge for arguments on the framing of charges and saw no reason to halt the proceedings.

In its order, the court observed that Yadav would have ample opportunity to present his arguments before the trial court. “This would be rather an added opportunity for the petitioner to put forth his point and get the same adjudicated,” the court remarked.

Finding no compelling grounds to intervene at this stage, the High Court refused to stay the lower court’s proceedings.

Yadav had earlier moved the High Court to seek the quashing of the CBI FIR, contending that the agency proceeded with the probe without obtaining mandatory sanction for prosecution.

Representing him, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal argued that the investigation lacked legal foundation from the beginning. “Why should I go to the trial court and argue on charge? Cognisance itself is bad,” he submitted.

Sibal also pointed to the absence of any FIR during the 2004–2009 period and questioned the CBI’s move to register an FIR in 2020, particularly after a closure report had already been filed in the matter.

In response, the CBI maintained that the trial court was the appropriate forum to address these contentions. “This is a case where public servants were allegedly instructed by associates of the minister to make specific selections in exchange for land, hence the term ‘land-for-jobs scam’,” the agency stated.

Significantly, on May 9, the President of India granted sanction to prosecute Lalu Prasad Yadav in a related money laundering case under Section 197(1) of the CrPC (now Section 218 of the BNSS, 2023). This sanction is a legal prerequisite for initiating prosecution against a former Union Minister.