Delhi court frames charges against Lalu, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav in IRCTC case

Just weeks ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, a Delhi court on Monday, 13 October, framed criminal charges against party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav in connection with the alleged IRCTC scam.

Special judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court ordered the framing of charges related to corruption, cheating, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused, including the senior RJD leader and his family members, pleaded not guilty, paving the way for a full trial.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, maintenance contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels, BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri, were fraudulently awarded to Sujata Hotels.

IRCTC scam: Delhi court refuses to cancel bail of Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav

In exchange, the agency claims, prime land parcels were transferred at a fraction of their market value to a company allegedly linked to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav.

According to the CBI, the arrangement involved a “benami” transaction, through which nearly three acres of valuable land changed hands as a quid pro quo for the hotel contracts. The investigating agency filed the FIR in 2017 and has maintained that sufficient evidence exists to prosecute all accused in the case.

The court, while passing the order, observed that “probable fraud must be tried as cheating” and emphasised that the alleged loss to the exchequer was tangible.

“The conspiracy is sublime but not hidden from the court’s view,” the judge remarked, noting that preliminary findings indicate that Yadav abused his position as a public servant and influenced the tender process for personal gain.

Lalu Prasad Yadav’s counsel argued that the tenders were awarded transparently and that the case lacked substantive evidence, claiming the charges were politically motivated.

With the case now moving to trial, the development comes as a political blow to the RJD, likely to intensify opposition attacks on the party’s leadership ahead of the upcoming state polls.

With agency inputs