Setback for Lalu Yadav, family in IRCTC 'scam'; charges framed
What's the story
A Delhi court has framed charges against former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam. The order was passed by Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue Courts on Thursday. The court noted "strong suspicion of abuse of office and proceeds of crime" against Rabri and Tejashwi.
Court
What court said
"There exists a strong suspicion of abuse of office and proceeds of crime in the hands of Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav who continue to enjoy a tainted land in Patna, which was transferred to them at the behest of Lalu Prasad Yadav, during the years 2005 and 2014 when he was Union Railways Minister," the Court said while pronouncing the order.
Tender manipulation
Tender was manipulated by railway officials during Lalu's tenure: Court
The court further observed that during Lalu's tenure as railways minister, a tender was manipulated by railway officials for the award of leases of hotels at Ranchi and Puri.
The directors of these hotels transferred a plot of land in Patna to Sarla Gupta, a close associate of Lalu.
This land's shares were then transferred to Rabri for a nominal amount.
Charges framed
Money laundering charges framed against 9 people
The court has framed money laundering charges against nine people, including the Yadavs.
However, seven others were discharged from the case.
The accused in the case are M/S Lara Projects LLP, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sarla Gupta, Prem Chand Gupta, Gaurav Gupta, Nath Mal Kakrania, Rahul Yadav, Vijay Tripathi, Deoki Nandan Tulshyan, M/S Sujata Hotels, Vinay Kochhar, Vijay Kochhar, Rajiv Kumar Relan and M/S Abhishek Finance Private Limited. Formal charges will be framed on October 3.
Past case
CBI corruption case
It is worth mentioning that in October last year, the same judge had framed charges against the Yadavs, Rabri Devi and 11 others in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) corruption case related to this scam.
In that case, charges were framed for cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI alleged that Lalu and his family accepted prime land and shares as bribe for awarding contracts to a private firm while he headed the Railways.
CBI
CBI's allegations
As per the allegations, during Lalu's tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 to 2009, two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were given on lease to a company named Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process.
In exchange, land worth crores was transferred to a firm purportedly linked to Lalu's wife and son Tejashwi for a fraction of its market value.
Based on the CBI's FIR, the ED filed a PMLA case against Lalu Yadav and his family.