THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, July 18: The Supreme Court has refused to stay the trial against former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in the land-for-jobs case.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh declined to intervene after hearing a petition filed on behalf of Lalu Prasad.
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Earlier, Lalu had approached the Delhi High Court seeking to halt the trial, but the request was denied. He then appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Lalu Prasad in the apex court and argued that the CBI had registered the FIR in 2021, even though Lalu served as a minister between 2005 and 2009.
He contended that under legal provisions, the trial cannot proceed without prior sanction from the competent authority, which, he claimed, was not obtained.
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However, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the government, argued that the requirement for prior sanction was introduced through amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2018. Since the alleged offences occurred before that, the amendment would not apply, and no such sanction is needed in this case.
The court accepted the government’s argument and allowed the trial to continue.
