IRCTC scam: Delhi HC issues notice on Lalu Yadav's plea
What's the story
The Delhi High Court has issued a notice on former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's plea challenging the framing of charges against him in the alleged Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam case. The matter was heard by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Monday, with the court seeking a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The next hearing is scheduled for January 14.
Legal proceedings
Charges of cheating and conspiracy framed against Yadav
On October 13, 2025, a trial court had framed charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy against Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and 11 others. The charges were framed under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with Section 420 IPC and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Case details
Court's observation on land and share transactions
The trial court had observed that the land and share transactions in question were "possibly an instance of crony capitalism fostered in the garb of eliciting private participation in the Railways's hotels at Ranchi and Puri." The other accused include Pradeep Kumar Goel, Rakesh Saksena, Bhupendra Kumar Agarwal, Rakesh Kumar Gogia, and Vinod Kumar Asthana.
CBI
CBI's allegations against Lalu and family
The CBI alleged that Lalu Yadav and his family accepted prime land as bribe for awarding contracts to Sujata Hotels. The alleged scam took place between 2004-2009, when Yadav was Railway minister. During this time, two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were leased to Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process. 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.