Land for job scam: Delhi HC reserves verdict on Amit Katyal’s interim bail plea

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Friday reserved its verdict in businessman Amit Katyal’s plea seeking interim bail on medical grounds in connection with the money laundering case related to the land for job scam case.

A vacation bench of justice Vikas Mahajan reserved the verdict after considering the submissions of Katyal and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Katyal had approached the high court after the city court declined his plea for an extension of interim bail granted to him on medical grounds on April 30 and had directed him to surrender on May 1. He has also challenged the city court’s May 22 order denying him bail.

Katyal, represented through senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Vikas Pahwa, urged the court to allow their client to stay in Medanta Hospital for three weeks, stressing that he had undergone Bariatric surgery and required a specialized diet. Sibal further argued that ED, throughout its probe, had not arrested the main accused and had instead arrested Katyal, who was a victim.

Also Read: Delhi HC seeks ED’s response on Amit Katyal’s interim bail plea in job scam

Countering the claims, the ED, represented by special counsel Zoheb Hossain, argued that had the probe agency arrested the main accused during the investigation, allegations would have been made that the former was taking politicians into custody during elections. Hossain, however, said that the allegations against Katyal were serious.

Opposing the grant of interim bail, he underscored that Katyal had failed to show a single document pointing out that his condition was life-threatening or endangering. Hossain, against this backdrop, however, suggested the court direct the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to examine Katyal.

Katyal, an alleged associate of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejaswi Yadav, was arrested by the probe agency in November last year. ED has alleged that Katyal acquired several lands from railway job aspirants on behalf of Lalu Yadav.

In its first charge sheet filed in January, the ED named Lalu Prasad’s wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and their daughters, Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, among the seven accused in the land for job scam. The federal agency named Katyal, naming him as the “close associate” of the Yadav family, railway employee and alleged beneficiary Hridayanand Chaudhary, and two firms, AK Infosystems Pvt Ltd and AB Exports Pvt Ltd, through their common director Shariqul Bari.

ED’s case stems from the case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2022 under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the then railway minister Lalu Yadav and others for entering into conspiracy for abusing official position to obtaining pecuniary benefits in the form of land parcels being transferred to his family members and companies thereof in return for appointment to the post of substitute (Group-’D’) under the various zones of the Indian Railways.