New Delhi [India], September 24 : The Rouse Avenue court will pronounce the order on the charge on October 13 in the IRCTC hotel corruption case. The court has directed all the accused persons, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejaswi Yadav and others, to appear in Person on the next date.
This case pertains to allegations of corruption in the allotment of maintenance work of IRCTC hotel tenders during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Special judge Vishal Gogne said that the order on charge is in completion and will pronounce the same on October 13. All the accused persons are directed to appear in Person on the next date.
The matter has been listed on October 13 for the order on framing of charge.
Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members and others are accused in this case. This case is related to alleged corruption in the tender for IRCTC hotels.
The Court had reserved the order on May 29 after hearing submissions by the counsel for the Investigation Agency and for the accused persons on a day-to-day basis.
On March 1, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concluded its arguments on charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejaswi Yadav, former Minister Prem Chand Gupta, and other accused persons. There are 14 accused in this case.
The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) for CBI had argued that there was Corruption and conspiracy on the part of the accused persons in the allotment of two IRCTC hotel maintenance contracts. SPP D P Singh, alongwith with Advocate Manu Mishra, had argued that there was Corruption and conspiracy in the allotment of maintenance contracts for two hotels of IRCTC to a private company.
There is sufficient material to frame a charge against all accused persons, the CBI said. This case is connected with a period when Lalu Prasad Yadav was Railway Minister during 2004-2009.
It is alleged that the maintenance contract of two IRCTC hotels, namely BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri, was transferred to Sujata Hotel, a private firm owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochar.
The CBI has alleged that in return for this deal, Lalu Prasad Yadav got three acres of prime land through a benami company.
On July 7, 2017, the CBI filed an FIR against Lalu. The agency also raided 12 locations linked to Lalu and his family members in Patna, New Delhi, Ranchi and Gurgaon.
On the other hand, it was submitted on behalf of Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav that there is no material to frame charges against him in the IRCTC corruption case, and he deserves discharge in this case.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, counsel for Lalu Prasad Yadav, argued that there are no irregularities on the part of Lalu Prasad Yadav. The tenders were awarded in a fair manner. There is insufficient material to frame charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav. He deserved to be discharged of the charges.