A CBI opposed pleas by Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav in the Delhi High Court over IRCTC scam charges, calling it corruption and quid pro quo causing loss to exchequer, as per FIR and evidence presented.
NEW DELHI: The CBI opposed petitions by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav in the Delhi High Court, challenging the framing of charges in the IRCTC scam case.
Additional Solicitor General D.P. Singh, representing the agency, argued that this was a case of corruption and “quid pro quo” that resulted in a loss to the exchequer.
According to the CBI’s FIR, Lalu Yadav, while serving as railway minister, conspired with Sarla Gupta, the owner of Sujata Hotels and wife of his close associate, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Prem Chand Gupta, along with IRCTC officials, to gain “undue pecuniary advantage” for themselves and others.
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The agency’s chargesheet claims that the conspiracy took place between 2004 and 2014. The CBI alleges that BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a “rigged and manipulated” tender process orchestrated by P.K. Goyal, the then managing director of IRCTC, in return for the Yadav family’s acquisition of undervalued land parcels in Patna.
ASG Singh remarked,
“The entire acquisition (of land in this case) raises grave suspicions, and as a prosecutor, I would use the term dubious. This is how the land is acquired. Purchase of land was when Mrs. Yadav was the chief minister.”
On October 13, 2025, the trial court framed charges against Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and 11 others for alleged offenses including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and corruption under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In addition to Lalu Yadav, charges were also framed against Pradeep Kumar Goel, Rakesh Saxena, Bhupendra Kumar Agarwal, Rakesh Kumar Gogia, and Vinod Kumar Asthana under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, which relates to the punishment for criminal misconduct by a public servant and the abuse of position to obtain favors.
The court also directed that charges be framed under IPC Section 420 (cheating) against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, M/s LARA Projects LLP, Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, Sarla Gupta, and Prem Chand Gupta.
The maximum punishment under the PC Act is 10 years, while the penalty for cheating can be up to seven years.
The IRCTC scam involves alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for Ranchi and Puri railway hotels when Lalu Prasad Yadav was Union Railways Minister (2004–2009).
On 13 October 2025, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court formally framed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and 11 others for cheating, criminal conspiracy, and violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Earlier, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court had framed charges against Yadav for corruption, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. His wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav were also charged with conspiracy and cheating.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family allegedly received valuable land parcels and company shares as illegal gratification in exchange for awarding contracts to a private hotel company during his tenure as Union Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.
The agency alleges that IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were leased to Sujata Hotels through an irregular and manipulated tender process, while land valued in crores was transferred to a company linked to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav at significantly undervalued rates.
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