Bihar: Court Frames Charges Against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi And Tejashwi Yadav In Land For Jobs Scam

The Rouse Avenue court in New Delhi on Monday (13 October) formally framed charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav, the state’s Leader of Opposition, in the alleged IRCTC scam case.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne framed common charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating against Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav. Lalu Prasad has been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, PTI reported.

All three have pleaded not guilty to the allegations, and a detailed order in the matter is still awaited. The court had earlier on 24 September directed the accused to appear physically for the framing of charges.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet alleges that between 2004 and 2014, operational contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels located in Puri and Ranchi were irregularly granted to Sujata Hotels Private Limited.

According to the agency, the tender process was manipulated and the conditions were modified to favour the private entity.

The chargesheet also names senior IRCTC officials V K Asthana and R K Goyal, along with Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of the Chanakya Hotel.

The firms Delight Marketing Company (now Lara Projects) and Sujata Hotels Private Limited have also been cited as accused in the case.

The development sets the stage for a trial at a politically sensitive time ahead of upcoming state elections.

It highlights allegations of corruption in the transfer and leasing of BNR hotels, originally under Indian Railways, to private operators, raising concerns over procedural transparency and misuse of public resources.

Please click here to add Swarajya as your preferred and trusted news source on Google

Also Read: Telangana Government Sanctions Funds For Pre-Feasibility Study Of Ramagundam Airport In Peddapalli