Delhi court frames charges against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday framed corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating charges against fomer union minister Lalu Yadav in the IRCTC scam case. His son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and his wife, former CM of Bihar, Rabri Devi have also been charged with several offences, including conspiracy and cheating.Read also: ‘Not guilty, will face trial’: Lalu Prasad defiant as Delhi court frames charges in IRCTC ‘scam’After Lalu responding to the queries of special judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne pleaded not guilty, the judge said the case will go to trial.
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Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav also pleaded not guilty.Yadav family appeared physically before the court. Last month, the judge had directed Yadav and other accused in the matter to appear before the court physically. The case stems from the alleged irregularities in the grant of operational contracts of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm.According to the CBI chargesheet, a conspiracy was hatched between 2004 and 2014, in pursuance of which BNR Hotel of the Indian Railways, which has units in Puri and Ranchi, was first transferred to IRCTC and later, for operations, maintenance, and upkeep, given on lease to Sujata Hotels, which is based in Patna, Bihar.The tender process, the agency alleged, was rigged and manipulated, and the conditions were tweaked to help Sujata Hotels.The chargesheet also names the then Group General Managers of IRCTC VK Asthana and RK Goyal, and Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel.Delight Marketing Company, now known as Lara Projects, and Sujata Hotels have also been named as accused firms in the chargesheet.
