A Delhi court on Monday framed charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation scam
His wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, were charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating.
Court Finds Prima Facie Case Of Abuse Of Position
The charges were framed by Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court, who noted that the alleged acts occurred during Lalu Prasad’s tenure as Railway Minister. According to the court, there was evidence suggesting that Prasad abused his official position to favour a private firm in awarding operation and maintenance contracts for two IRCTC hotels—in Ranchi and Puri—in exchange for prime land in Patna.
“Lalu Prasad intervened to influence the pace… there were material modifications in the tender process,” the judge observed. He further stated, “The land parcels were undervalued and given to Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad. This caused wrongful loss to the public exchequer… the court has reached a prima facie finding that there exists a grave suspicion at the manner in which transfers were made at undervalued rates.”
Reading out the charges, the court said: “You engaged in conspiracy, you abused your position as a public servant, influenced the tender… eligibility conditions of the tender were manipulated, you conspired for undervalued purchase of land parcels and conspired with other accused for subsequent transfer of effective control over these land parcels.”
All three accused—Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav—pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court indicated that a day-to-day trial in the case is expected to begin in late October.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the corruption case and had filed a chargesheet in 2018 against the RJD leaders and others. The agency alleges that there were irregularities in tenders awarded to Sujata Hotels, a private company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, for managing and maintaining two BNR (Bengal Nagpur Railway) hotels in Ranchi and Puri.
According to the CBI, Lalu Prasad favoured Sujata Hotels in exchange for valuable land in Patna. He allegedly acquired 358 decimals of high-value land through a benami company, Delight Marketing Company, for just ₹1.5 crore, much below the market rate.
Between 2010 and 2014, ownership of the company was gradually transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav, the agency claims, thereby making the family the ultimate beneficiaries of the deal.
Linked “Land-for-Jobs” Case Also Under Probe
The CBI and ED are also investigating the “land-for-jobs” scam involving the same family. That case pertains to allegations that land parcels were transferred at throwaway prices to secure Group-D jobs in the Railways between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Prasad was the Union Railway Minister.
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