Jolt for Lalu and Family ahead of Bihar polls: Delhi court frames charges in IRCTC land-for-hotel case

The Rouse Avenue court framed charges under sections of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, after finding “sufficient material” presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to reports in the media.

The trio pleaded not guilty, with Lalu Yadav asserting he would “face trial,” and Rabri Devi calling the case “wrong.”

The case dates back to Lalu Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, when the maintenance contracts of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels — BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri — were allegedly awarded to Sujata Hotel, owned by the Kochar brothers.

According to the CBI, the tenders were manipulated to benefit the Kochar-owned firm in exchange for approximately three acres of prime land in Patna, transferred through a benami company linked to the Yadav family.

The court’s order said Lalu Yadav, now 77, “abused his position as a public servant” and “conspired with others to influence the tender process,” ensuring the underpriced transfer of land parcels to his wife and son. It added that the undervaluation of the property and subsequent share transfers “raised serious concerns and caused loss to the state exchequer.”

Tejashwi Yadav, who is the RJD’s chief ministerial face in the upcoming Bihar election, faces charges of cheating and conspiracy. The court, according to India Today, said there was “grave suspicion” that the three accused, along with others, engaged in a coordinated scheme to secure favours through land transactions linked to IRCTC properties.

The CBI registered the FIR in 2017 and later filed its chargesheet alleging a “clear chain of evidence” connecting the tender irregularities to the land transfer.

While Lalu Prasad Yadav’s counsel argued that the tenders were awarded fairly and that the prosecution’s case lacks substantive evidence, the court ruled that a full trial was warranted.

The case marks yet another legal hurdle for the RJD supremo, who has previously been convicted in multiple fodder scam cases.