New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday formally framed charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam, marking the beginning of the trial process ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne held that there was sufficient material to proceed against the three political leaders. Lalu Prasad will face charges under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, while Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav have been charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating. All three have pleaded not guilty. The court said a detailed order explaining the basis of the charges would follow soon.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in leasing out two hotels—BNR Hotels in Puri and Ranchi—belonging to the Indian Railways to a private company during Lalu Prasad’s tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the properties were first transferred to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and later handed over to Sujata Hotels Private Limited on favorable terms, allegedly in exchange for kickbacks.
Investigators claim the tender process was manipulated to ensure that Sujata Hotels, owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar of the Patna-based Chanakya Hotel group, received the lucrative lease. The CBI also alleged that the terms and conditions were altered to suit the company’s interests.
Along with the Yadav family, several others—including former IRCTC officials VK Asthana and RK Goyal, as well as two firms, Delight Marketing Company (now Lara Projects) and Sujata Hotels Pvt. Ltd.—have been named as co-accused in the case.
The court had earlier, on September 24, directed all accused to be present in person for the framing of charges. With the proceedings now underway, the case is expected to draw significant political attention as Bihar heads toward another election season.
