New Delhi, Oct 13: In a major development, a Delhi court on Wednesday framed charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family in the high profile IRCTC hotel scam case. The decision sets the stage for the trial under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, after the accused pleaded not guilty.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne, who had reserved the order on May 29, heard detailed arguments regarding criminal conspiracy, cheating, and corruption charges against Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi Yadav, Prem Gupta, Sarla Gupta, and railway officials Rakesh Saksena and P.K. Goyal.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities during 2004–2009, when Lalu Prasad served as Union Railway Minister. Two IRCTC hotels were reportedly leased to a private firm without following proper norms. One of the hotels was allotted to Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Gupta, a close associate of Lalu Prasad and then Rajya Sabha MP.
The prosecution claims that Lalu Prasad acquired three acres of prime land through a benami company in exchange for appointments in Group ‘D’ posts across railway zones. Several Patna residents allegedly sold or gifted land to family members of Lalu Prasad and a private company controlled by him.
Lalu Prasad, asserting his innocence, maintained that the tenders were awarded fairly and sought discharge from the proceedings. However, the Supreme Court recently rejected his plea to stay the trial court proceedings in the related land for job case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed multiple charge sheets under the Prevention of Corruption Act, forming the basis for the trial. This marks a significant step in holding former ministers accountable for alleged corruption during their tenure.