In a major legal setback to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, a Delhi court on Monday ordered the framing of charges against the former Bihar Chief Minister, his wife Rabri Devi, who is also an ex-Chief Minister, and their son Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC scam case.
In its order, came just weeks ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the court noted that the senior leader had “engaged in conspiracy” and “abused his position” as a public servant.
The court directed that Lalu Yadav be charged with criminal misconduct by a public servant and criminal conspiracy to commit cheating, while Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav will face charges of cheating and conspiracy to commit cheating. The case will go to trial as all the accused have pleaded not guilty.
The case, investigated by the CBI, pertains to alleged corruption in the allotment of maintenance work contracts for two IRCTC hotels — BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri. The CBI has alleged that the contracts were favourably awarded to a private firm, Sujata Hotel, owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochar.
The chargesheet claimed that Lalu Yadav received approximately three acres of prime land in Patna through a benami company.
According to the court order, the 77-year-old RJD patriarch is accused of “abusing his position as a public servant” and engaging in a conspiracy that manipulated the tender process during his tenure as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.