In the IRCTC hotel scam case, the court has deferred its decision on framing charges against 14 individuals, including Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi, and has sought clarification from the CBI. The next hearing is scheduled for August 5th.
IRCTC Scam Case: During the hearing related to the IRCTC hotel scam at Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday, Special Judge Vishal Gogne sought some clarifications from the CBI in this case and fixed the next hearing date for August 5th. The court had previously reserved its decision on May 29th, but the judgment was postponed due to the need for additional clarification.
Process of Framing Charges Against Lalu Yadav and 14 Accused
In this case, former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, former Union Minister Premchand Gupta, and a total of 14 individuals are accused. The case dates back to when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Railway Minister in the central government from 2004 to 2009. It is alleged that he engaged in corruption and conspiracy in the allocation of IRCTC hotel contracts.
Arguments Presented by the CBI
On behalf of the CBI, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) DP Singh and Advocate Manu Mishra argued in court that the contracts for the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels - BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri - were awarded to a private company, Sujata Hotel. This company was owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar.
According to the CBI, in exchange for this contract, Lalu Yadav's family received three acres of valuable land in Patna through a benami company. This has been described as the means of bribery.
FIR and Raids
The CBI registered an FIR in this case on July 7, 2017. Following this, the investigating agency conducted raids at 12 locations in New Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, and Gurgaon linked to Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family. Some documents and information related to properties were recovered during these raids.
CBI's Stance: Sufficient Evidence Exists
The investigating agency states that they have sufficient evidence against all the accused, enabling the completion of the charge-framing process. The agency has appealed to the court to grant permission to prosecute all the accused.
Lalu Yadav's Stance: No Evidence, Should Be Acquitted
On the other hand, Lalu Prasad Yadav's lawyer, senior advocate Maninder Singh, told the court that there is no concrete evidence against his client in this entire matter. He claimed that the IRCTC hotel tenders were awarded transparently and that no irregularities occurred. He demanded Lalu Yadav be acquitted of the charges.
Bihar's Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav is also named in this case. Tejashwi is accused of acquiring the land through his family companies. However, his lawyer is also arguing that there is insufficient evidence to prove the charges against his client.
