The Delhi High Court has declined to pause the trial involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC scam case. The court stated that the trial will proceed, with the cross-examination of witnesses likely to be scheduled for the following week. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Lalu Prasad, mentioned that the trial’s stay was under consideration while petitions challenging the framing of charges were pending.
The court clarified that the examination-in-chief of witnesses should proceed without interruption. The judge emphasized that no stay would be granted at this time and instructed the CBI not to rush the cross-examination process. The petitions filed by the father-son duo will be addressed in the upcoming week, as per the court’s direction.
On October 13, 2025, the trial court had framed charges against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and 11 others in connection with alleged cheating and criminal conspiracy. The charges also included violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court highlighted that the transactions in question appeared to involve crony capitalism, disguised as private participation in railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri.
Lalu Prasad, in his petition, argued that the chargesheet lacked substantial incriminating evidence. He contended that the CBI had not presented any documentary or oral evidence, witness statements, or circumstantial proof of a conspiracy. Apart from the Yadav family, charges were leveled against several others under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act related to misconduct and abuse of position by public servants.
The trial court additionally pressed charges of cheating against Lalu, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, and others, along with a common charge of criminal conspiracy against all 14 accused. The maximum penalties for criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act and cheating under the IPC are 10 years and seven years of imprisonment, respectively.
