A Delhi court on Friday framed criminal charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Union railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and several members of his family in the alleged railways land-for-jobs scam.

While passing the order, the court said that Lalu Yadav and his family members appeared to have worked together like a “criminal syndicate” in the matter. The court also accepted the Central Bureau of Investigation’s claim that the appointments made during Lalu Yadav’s tenure as railway minister were part of a larger conspiracy.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne said that, at this stage, there was enough material on record to raise strong suspicion against the accused. The court observed that the evidence presented by the CBI indicated a planned and coordinated effort involving multiple family members.

The judge clarified that the case has crossed the initial legal threshold required to move forward and that the allegations need to be examined in detail during the trial. Based on the available records, the court found it appropriate to formally frame charges and proceed with the case.

The land-for-jobs case relates to allegations that certain individuals were given railway jobs in exchange for transferring land to people linked to Lalu Yadav’s family. The accused have denied the charges and are expected to contest the case during the trial.