Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav
New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday urged a Delhi court to acquit them in a corruption case related to alleged irregularities in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) between 2004 and 2014. The three presented arguments in front of Special Judge Vishal Gogan, claiming that the CBI case is based on “making selected people accused” and the allegations leveled against him are “false”. He presented his arguments through Senior Advocate Maninder Singh during the debate to fed the charges in the case.
Dhikam may be punished for seven years
Charge sheets have been filed for various crimes including criminal conspiracy, fraud and corruption against Lalu, Rabri and Tejashwi, for which there is a provision for a maximum of seven years jail sentence. The three claimed before the judge that the allegations against him by the CBI against him were false, selective tendency and sponsored. He said that the CBI lacks evidence to prosecute him. The hearing of the case will start again on 21 April.
Enough evidence of sufficient evidence to prosecute the accused
The judge said, “Partial arguments from A-1 to A-4 (Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi and Lara Projects LLP) were heard. The case should be listed to present further arguments.” Lalu, who was the Railway Minister in the first government of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Center, had earlier questioned the validity of the approval taken by the CBI to prosecute him in the case. The CBI had told the court on February 28 that there was enough evidence to prosecute the accused. The case is arranged by the alleged irregularities in the contract to operate two hotels of IRCTC to a private company.
What was the matter?
According to the charge sheet filed by the CBI, a conspiracy was hatched between 2004 and 2014, under which BNR Hotel of Indian Railways located in Puri (Odisha) and Ranchi (Jharkhand) was first transferred to IRCTC. Later, Sujata Hotels Private Limited, Patna, was given the responsibility of operating and maintaining their operations and maintenance. The investigating agency has alleged that the tender process was rigged and rigged and the conditions were changed to help the private side-sujata hotels. The charge sheet also includes Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, the then Group General Manager of IRCTC VK Asthana and RK Goel, and the Director of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel. Now the delivery marketing company, known as Lara Projects, has also been included as an accused in the charge sheet. (Language)
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