New Delhi, June 9: A court in Delhi has postponed the decision on charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), his family members, and others accused in the IRCTC hotel scam related to money laundering. The new date for the ruling is set for July 16. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is currently investigating the case.
The Rouse Avenue Court has delayed the decision until July 16. The ED has filed a prosecution complaint against 16 accused individuals, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, a former Chief Minister of Bihar, and their son Tejashwi Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly.
The ED’s case is linked to alleged money laundering from the criminal proceeds of the IRCTC hotel scam, which was registered by the CBI. The agency claims that irregularities occurred during the awarding of contracts for the operation of IRCTC hotels while Lalu Prasad Yadav served as the Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.
According to the prosecution, the maintenance contracts for the hotels were awarded to a private company connected to close associates of RJD leader Lalu Yadav, without following established regulations. In return, valuable land was allegedly acquired through a shell company linked to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family and associates.
The accused in this case include Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, sons Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, daughter Misa Bharti, and Hema Yadav, among others.
Previously, a special court judge reserved the order on charges after hearing detailed arguments from the accused and lawyers representing the ED. Criminal revision petitions filed by Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav are also pending in the Delhi High Court, challenging the trial court’s order to frame charges in the same alleged scam.
Last October, the Rouse Avenue Court had framed charges against them under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act for offenses related to fraud, criminal conspiracy, and corruption.
Lalu Prasad Yadav has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that the tenders for the IRCTC hotels were awarded in a fair and transparent manner.
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