Jobaaj Stories
Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav have requested a Delhi court to drop corruption charges against them in the IRCTC case. The case is linked to alleged irregularities in awarding operational contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels between 2004 and 2014, when Lalu Prasad was the Railway Minister.
During the hearing on Saturday, the three leaders argued that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had selectively targeted them and lacked strong evidence. Their lawyer, senior advocate Maninder Singh, claimed that the charges were false and politically motivated.
The case involves allegations that two BNR hotels of Indian Railways, located in Puri and Ranchi, were first transferred to IRCTC and later leased to Sujata Hotels Private Limited through a manipulated tender process. The CBI alleges that conditions were changed to benefit the private company.
The court presided over by Special Judge Vishal Gogne, has scheduled the next hearing for April 21. The CBI maintains that it has sufficient evidence to prosecute the accused.
Apart from the Yadav family, the chargesheet also names former IRCTC officials and Sujata Hotels directors, along with the company Delight Marketing, now known as Lara Projects. If convicted, the accused could face a maximum jail term of seven years.
