- Delhi court frames charges against Lalu, Tejashwi, and Rabri Devi.
- Case linked to IRCTC hotel maintenance contracts during Lalu’s tenure as Railway Minister.
- CBI alleges quid pro quo deal involving prime land in return for hotel tenders.
- Court cites criminal conspiracy and corruption; rejects defence plea.
- Major setback for RJD ahead of Bihar elections.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th Oct: In a major blow to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leadership ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, a Delhi court on Monday framed corruption charges against party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son and CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav, and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi in the IRCTC hotel tender case.
All three pleaded not guilty and asserted they would face trial. The Rouse Avenue Court framed charges under sections related to cheating, criminal conspiracy, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the award of maintenance contracts for IRCTC hotels during Lalu Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister (2004–2009). According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Lalu allegedly awarded the contracts for BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri hotels to Sujata Hotel Pvt Ltd in exchange for three acres of prime land acquired through a benami company.
The CBI registered an FIR in 2017, claiming there was sufficient material to prosecute the accused. However, Lalu’s counsel argued that the tenders were issued fairly and that there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
Rejecting these arguments, the court observed that “probable fraud must be tried as cheating”, adding that the “conspiracy is sublime, but not hidden from the court’s view.” It further noted that the preliminary probe suggested that Lalu Yadav abused his position and influenced the tender process for personal gain, causing a monetary loss to the exchequer.
The development comes as a political setback for the RJD, weeks before Bihar heads to the polls, with rival parties expected to sharpen their attacks on the Yadav family over corruption charges.
