New Delhi: A Delhi court has taken a major legal step in the high-profile land-for-job scam, directing that charges be formally framed against former Union Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and several members of his family, officials said on Thursday.

The Rouse Avenue Court, while rejecting pleas seeking discharge, found prima facie evidence of an overarching conspiracy in which land parcels were allegedly exchanged for Government jobs, a charge long central to the CBI’s investigation.

According to the court’s order, charges have been framed against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, daughter Misa Bharti, and several others named in the case. The judge said the allegations indicate that the group “acted as a syndicate” to manipulate public employment and land deals.

The CBI’s chargesheet, filed after years of investigation, alleges that during Lalu’s tenure as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009, appointments under the Group-D category in various railway zones were made in violation of norms. In return, recruits allegedly transferred land parcels at nominal values to names associated with the Yadav family, the prosecution has said.

The court has discharged 52 other accused, including several railway officials, while proceeding against around 41 accused including members of the Yadav household.

With charges now formally framed, the trial is set to progress — a landmark development that intensifies legal scrutiny of one of India’s most discussed corruption cases in recent years.

— Reported by Anam Siddiqui