In a setback to senior RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Supreme Court today refused to quash the FIR registered by CBI and charge sheets filed against him in the alleged land-for-jobs case. A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh granted exemption to the 77-year-old Mr Lalu from personal appearance before the trial court.

During the hearing, the Central Bureau of Investigation argued that prior approval was not required in this case, while the defence maintained that the absence of a sanction invalidated the proceedings.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Mr Yadav’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR and chargesheets, holding that Section 17A, introduced in 2018, does not apply retrospectively to alleged offences committed between 2004 and 2009. The case pertains to alleged irregular appointments in the Railways during Mr Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister, in exchange for land parcels transferred to his family members and associates.