Court frames corruption & conspiracy charges against Lalu family in IRCTC Hotel scam

Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Monday formally framed charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav, along with several others, in the alleged IRCTC hotels corruption case.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the process of awarding the operational contracts for the maintenance of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels—the BNR Hotel units in Ranchi and Puri—during Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as the Union Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that the tender conditions for the maintenance work were deliberately manipulated and rigged to favor a private firm, Sujata Hotels. This manipulation was allegedly done in exchange for a bribe in the form of prime land transferred to a company allegedly linked to the Yadav family, specifically Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav, at a price significantly below its market value.

In its detailed order, the court observed that there was "sufficient material" presented by the CBI to proceed against the accused. Lalu Prasad Yadav was specifically charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in addition to charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating. All three RJD leaders, who were directed to appear physically in court, pleaded "not guilty" to the charges read out by the judge.