The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a plea by former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav challenging a trial court order. The order directed the framing of criminal charges against him and his family members in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, on a single-judge Bench, has scheduled further hearing on January 14 after briefly considering the matter.
Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, contested the order issued by the Rouse Avenue Court, which found grounds to proceed against him and other accused for corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating in connection with the IRCTC scam. The Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts, in an order dated October 13, 2025, paved the way for the trial of Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and other accused under Sections 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The alleged scam, occurring between 2004 to 2009 during Lalu Prasad’s tenure as Union Railway Minister, involved the leasing of two hotels without following proper norms. One of the hotels was allotted to Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Gupta, a close associate of the RJD chief and a Rajya Sabha MP at the time. The prosecution alleges that the RJD leader acquired three acres of prime land through a benami company. Lalu Prasad, denying any irregularities, claimed that the tenders were awarded fairly and sought discharge from the case.
