A Delhi Court has directed RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav to appear in person at the next hearing of the IRCTC case. The court has deferred its decision on framing charges until October 13.
September 24, 225: A Delhi court put off its decision on whether to charge RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav, and his wife Rabri Devi in a major corruption case involving alleged problems with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The court has told them to be there in person for the next session, which will be on October 13.
The order was put off because the court needed more information before moving forward. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has charged the political family with criminal conspiracy and cheating in this high-profile case. Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav have always denied the accusations, saying that the CBI doesn’t have enough proof to go after them.
The issue is about alleged problems with giving operational contracts for two IRCTC hotels to a private company while Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Railway Minister. The CBI says that the procurement procedure was rigged to help the private company in exchange for a piece of prime land in Patna that the Yadav family is said to have bought.
The hearing on October 13 will be very important since the court’s decision will decide whether or not a formal trial will start against the accused in this long-running corruption case.