Lalu, family charged with corruption, criminal conspiracy in IRCTC scam
What's the story
A Delhi court has framed various criminal charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order on Monday. The charges include corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating against Lalu Yadav.
Accused's response
All accused have pleaded not guilty
Tejashwi and Devi are charged with several offenses, including conspiracy and cheating. All accused have pleaded not guilty. The case will now proceed to trial, as they maintain that there is no evidence against them and claim the case is politically motivated. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that Lalu Yadav and his family accepted prime land as a bribe for awarding contracts to Sujata Hotels. The alleged scam took place between 2004-2009, when Yadav was Railway minister.
Investigation progress
FIR filed by CBI in July 2017
During this time, two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were leased to Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process. The CBI filed an FIR against Lalu Yadav on July 7, 2017, and conducted raids at multiple locations linked to him and his family. The agency alleged that in return for awarding maintenance contracts of the hotels to Sujata Hotel, Lalu Yadav received three acres of prime land through a benami company. On March 1, the CBI concluded its arguments.
Court
'You abused your position'
While announcing its order, the court said that Lalu Yadav abused his ministerial position and manipulated the eligibility conditions of the land tender. "You engaged in conspiracy and abused your position as a public servant. You influenced the tender and manipulated eligibility conditions. You conspired for undervalued purchase of land parcels," the court said. "You conspired with other accused for the subsequent transfer of effective control over these land parcels to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav," it added.