New Delhi: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Delhi has framed charges against former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, their son Tejashwi Yadav, and others in connection with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels scandal. The charges include corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating.

The case revolves around alleged irregularities in the awarding of contracts for the operation and maintenance of two IRCTC-owned hotels in Ranchi and Puri, during Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. The CBI alleges that the contracts were illicitly granted to Sujata Hotels, a private firm based in Patna, in exchange for valuable land in Patna.

According to the CBI, Lalu Prasad Yadav influenced the tender process to favor Sujata Hotels, owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar. In return, the CBI claims that Lalu Prasad Yadav obtained prime land through a benami (proxy) company. The agency has stated that people were even given Group-D jobs in the Indian Railways, despite some being unable to write, due to pressure from the Railway Ministry, then headed by Lalu Prasad. These individuals selected for the jobs allegedly gifted or transferred land to Lalu Prasad, his relatives, and associates.

Special CBI Judge Vishal Gogne stated that Lalu Prasad Yadav was fully aware of the processes and intervened to influence the transfer of the hotels. The judge noted "material modifications" in the tender process and suggested that land parcels were undervalued at the point of sale before vesting in Lalu Prasad's hands, causing a significant loss to the public exchequer. The court emphasized that the entire process appeared to be crony capitalism disguised as private participation and that the transactions were prima facie fraudulent.

The court framed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav for criminal misconduct as a public servant, along with criminal conspiracy and cheating. Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav face charges of conspiracy and cheating. All three have pleaded not guilty, and the trial is expected to begin later this month.

The CBI had filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the case on July 5, 2017, alleging that Lalu Prasad Yadav and others obtained illegal gains by manipulating the terms of the IRCTC hotel tenders. A chargesheet was subsequently filed in April 2018. The chargesheet names several individuals and entities, including former IRCTC officials and the owners of Sujata Hotels. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also lodged a money laundering case based on the CBI's findings.

Following the court's decision to frame charges, Tejashwi Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in Bihar, suggested that the timing of the action was linked to the upcoming assembly elections in the state. He stated that they would fight the charges, adding that "fighting storms is an especially enjoyable thing".

The court has directed that charges be framed under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating, along with criminal conspiracy under Section 120B, and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA). The maximum punishment under the PCA is 10 years, while cheating carries a maximum sentence of seven years.