IRCTC Hotel Scam: Hearing on petitions of Lalu family in Delhi High Court on Monday

IRCTC Hotel Scam: Hearing on petitions of Lalu family in Delhi High Court on Monday

New Delhi, January 18 (). Delhi High Court will hear the petitions of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members on Monday. In these petitions, he has challenged the order of the trial court, in which instructions were given to frame criminal charges against him in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case.

According to the list released on the official website of the Delhi High Court, these cases are listed for hearing on January 19 before a single bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma.

Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav have challenged the order of the trial court, in which directions were given to frame charges related to corruption, criminal conspiracy and fraud in the IRCTC hotel scam case.

Earlier, Delhi High Court had issued notice to CBI on the criminal revision petitions filed by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav and the application seeking stay on the trial court proceedings.

Issuing the notice, Justice Sharma had said that these petitions should be heard along with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s petition.

Rabri Devi has said in her petition that the trial court framed charges against her only on the basis of conjecture without properly examining the material on record.

Tejashwi Yadav has also raised questions on the validity and correctness of the trial court’s order in his petition. He argued that the prosecution had not been able to make out any prima facie case from which charges could be framed.

On October 13, 2025, Rouse Avenue Court Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogane had cleared the way for the trial against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and other accused under sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The special court had on May 29 reserved its order after hearing detailed arguments on the issue of framing of charges. In this case Prem Gupta, Sarla Gupta and railway officers Rakesh Saxena and PK. Goyal is also an accused.

This alleged scam took place between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister. It is alleged that during his tenure, two IRCTC hotels were given on lease without following the prescribed rules. One of these hotels was allotted to Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Gupta, a close aide of the RJD chief and then Rajya Sabha MP.

According to the prosecution, the RJD leader had acquired three acres of valuable land through a benami company.

Lalu Yadav has denied any irregularities, saying the tenders were awarded in a fair and transparent manner and has sought acquittal in the case.

AMT/ABM

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