The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear pleas from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members challenging a trial court order in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case. The matters are listed before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on January 27. The trial court had directed the framing of criminal charges against them for corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating in the case.
The petitions filed by Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav seek to challenge the trial court’s order. The Delhi High Court had previously issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the criminal revision petitions and an application for a stay on the trial court proceedings filed by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav.
Rabri Devi, in her plea, argued that charges were framed against her based on presumptions without proper evaluation of the evidence. Tejashwi Yadav also questioned the legality of the trial court order, stating that the prosecution had not established a prima facie case for charges to be framed.
In a previous order, Special Judge Vishal Gogne had paved the way for the trial of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and others under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The alleged scam dates back to the period when Lalu Prasad Yadav served as the Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.
The prosecution alleges that during his tenure, IRCTC hotels were leased without following proper procedures. Lalu Prasad Yadav has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the tenders were awarded transparently. He has sought to be discharged from the case, maintaining that there were no irregularities on his part.
