Delhi court frames charges against Lalu family in IRCTC case: What CBI alleges

A Delhi court on Monday framed charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged IRCTC scam case, setting the stage for trial just weeks before the Bihar assembly elections.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne framed common charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating against Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav, while Lalu Prasad faces additional charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. All three have pleaded not guilty. 

The development comes as Bihar heads for assembly polls in two phases — on November 6 and 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14. The filing of nominations began on October 10 for the first phase, covering 121 seats. Meanwhile, the opposition Mahagathbandhan is expected to announce its seat-sharing arrangement and joint manifesto this week, with talks between the RJD and Congress underway in New Delhi, where both Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav are currently present.

What the CBI alleges in the IRCTC scam

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet, the case dates back to 2004–2014, when a conspiracy was allegedly hatched to transfer two BNR Hotels of the Indian Railways - located in Puri and Ranchi - to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), and subsequently lease them to Sujata Hotels Private Limited, a Patna-based company.

The CBI claims that the tender process was rigged and manipulated, with conditions altered to favour Sujata Hotels. The chargesheet names V. Asthana and RK Goyal, both former Group General Managers of IRCTC, along with Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel in Patna.

Two companies - Delight Marketing Company (now known as Lara Projects) and Sujata Hotels Pvt. Ltd. - have also been named as accused entities in the case.

The CBI's case against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family rests on allegations that the hotel contracts were awarded in exchange for prime land and property in Patna, transferred to companies linked to the Yadav family. 

According to investigators, when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Union Railway Minister (2004–2009), he allegedly influenced the process of leasing out the BNR Hotels in Puri and Ranchi to Sujata Hotels Pvt Ltd, run by the Kochhar brothers.

In return, the CBI claims, the owners of Sujata Hotels transferred three acres of land in Patna to Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd, a firm allegedly owned and controlled by Lalu's family members. 

The CBI later found that Delight Marketing Company was acquired by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav after the land transfer, effectively bringing the property under the family's control. The land, originally valued at around Rs 32 crore, was reportedly transferred at a fraction of its market value - roughly Rs 1.5 crore - which the agency describes as a quid pro quo arrangement for awarding the IRCTC hotel tenders to Sujata Hotels.

(With inputs from PTI)