At 76, battling ill health and courtroom fatigue, Lalu Prasad is once again cast into the legal spotlight.
Critics call it accountability; his supporters call it persecution. The question remains—how much more must the old lion endure?
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, May 8:
At 76, frail and burdened by illness, Lalu Prasad Yadav — once the firebrand voice of Bihar’s backward castes and a towering figure in Indian politics — now finds himself staring down yet another prosecution.
In a move that adds fresh strain to the embattled leader’s twilight years, President Droupadi Murmu has granted sanction to prosecute the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief in connection with the alleged railway land-for-jobs scam. The permission, given under Section 197(1) of the CrPC (now Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita), follows a money laundering probe led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The ED had filed its chargesheet last year against Lalu, his son Tejashwi Yadav, and other close family members, accusing them of receiving land as bribes in exchange for railway jobs during Lalu’s tenure as Union Railway Minister (2004–2009). His wife Rabri Devi, daughters Misa and Hema Yadav, and even companies allegedly linked to the family are now caught in the legal crossfire.
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The charges stem from a CBI FIR that paints a picture of political patronage traded for property. Yet, many of Lalu’s supporters see the pursuit of these cases — years after the events allegedly occurred — as relentless persecution of a man who challenged the establishment and gave a voice to the voiceless.
As the courtroom drama unfolds, the image of Lalu — tired but unbroken, surrounded by family and legal advisors — stirs a mix of sympathy and political unease. In a system often accused of wielding law as a weapon, Lalu’s latest ordeal is not just a legal chapter, but a test of memory, legacy, and justice.
