A Delhi court on Monday framed various criminal charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and several others in the alleged IRCTC Scam case. Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order.
The court has framed charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating against Lalu Yadav. Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi are charged with several offences, including conspiracy and cheating.The case will proceed to trial since all the accused have pled not guilty.
The Central Burea of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that former Railway Minister Lalu Yadav and his family accepted prime land as a bribe for awarding contracts to a private firm while he headed the Railways.As per allegations, during Yadav's tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 to 2009, two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were given on lease to a company named Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process. In return, land worth crores was transferred to a company allegedly linked to Lalu’s wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav at a fraction of its market value.
The Yadav family have questioned the probe and said that there was no evidence against them. They maintain that the case is politically motivated.The court has framed corruption, cheating, and conspiracy charges against Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav, after the CBI accused the family of manipulating IRCTC tenders and illegal land transfers.
"You engaged in conspiracy and abused your position," said a Delhi court while framing charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and several others in the alleged IRCTC scam case.
Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order in presence of all the accused, paving the way for a full trial.
The court has ordered that Lalu Prasad Yadav will face charges of criminal misconduct as a public servant, along with criminal conspiracy to commit cheating, while Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav are set to be charged with cheating and conspiracy to cheat."The case will go to trial," said Justice Gogne after Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and other accused pleaded not guilty.
While announcing its order, the court said that Lalu Prasad Yadav abused his position as a Union Railway Minister and manipulated the eligibility conditions of the land tender.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that during Lalu Yadav's tenure as Union Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were leased to Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process.
In return, land worth crores was transferred to a company allegedly linked to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav at a fraction of its market value, causing significant loss to the state exchequer.
Notably, the court order came just ahead of the next month's Bihar Assembly elections, setting the stage for a more tense showdown between the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and the Nitish Kumar-BJP alliance.
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