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Ahead of the Bihar elections, the Rouse Avenue Court has pressed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC corruption case. Could this verdict reshape Bihar’s political landscape?
A trial will now officially proceed against the Lalu family
New Delhi: Just ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav have hit a major hurdle. A Delhi court has framed corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating charges against fomer Lalu Yadav in the IRCTC scam case.
His son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and his wife, former CM of Bihar, Rabri Devi have also been charged with several offences, including conspiracy and cheating.
The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has formally framed charges against the three under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) in the IRCTC corruption case. With this order, a trial will now officially proceed against the Lalu family.
The case dates back to the period when Lalu Yadav was serving as the Union Railway Minister. It is alleged that land was acquired in exchange for awarding contracts for railway hotels in an irregular manner.
After Lalu responding to the queries of special judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne pleaded not guilty, the judge said the case will go to trial. Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav also pleaded not guilty. Yadav family appeared physically before the court.
Last month, the court had directed Lalu Prasad Yadav and the other accused to appear in person. The case involves alleged irregularities in awarding operational contracts for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm.
The case revolves around allegations of corruption in awarding maintenance contracts for IRCTC hotels during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.
It is alleged that the maintenance contracts for two IRCTC hotels—BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri—were awarded to Sujata Hotels, a private firm owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochar. According to the CBI, in return for these contracts, Lalu Prasad Yadav allegedly acquired three acres of prime land through a benami company.
The CBI registered an FIR against Lalu Yadav on July 7, 2017, and conducted raids at 12 locations linked to him and his family in Patna, New Delhi, Ranchi, and Gurgaon. On March 1, 2025, the CBI concluded its arguments regarding the charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, former Union Minister Prem Chand Gupta, and others.
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The Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh, along with advocate Manu Mishra representing the CBI, argued that the accused were involved in corruption and conspiracy in allotting the two IRCTC hotel maintenance contracts to a private company.
In contrast, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s defense submitted that there is no evidence to frame charges against him in the IRCTC corruption case and that he deserves to be discharged from the proceedings.
