New Delhi: A Delhi court has postponed the formal framing of charges against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and six other accused in the money laundering case linked to the alleged IRCTC hotel scam.
Special Judge Prashant Kumar deferred the proceedings on Saturday and fixed the matter for October 30. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also been asked to seek further instructions in connection with an earlier order in the case.
The case goes back to the period when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Union railway minister. Investigating agencies have alleged that contracts to operate IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were awarded through an irregular process.
According to the ED’s case, the tender process was allegedly manipulated in favour of Sujata Hotels. The agency has alleged that a valuable piece of land in Patna was later transferred to a company known at the time as Delight Marketing Company Pvt. Ltd. (DMCPL).
The ED has further alleged that the company later came under the control of Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav after its shares were transferred to them at a price that the agency claims was far below the value of the underlying assets. The company was subsequently renamed Lara Projects.
A Delhi court had earlier examined the material placed before it and found grounds to proceed against nine of the 16 accused named by the ED. Seven accused were discharged at that stage.
The court’s earlier order allowed the money laundering proceedings to move forward against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and the other accused who remain in the case. The allegations are being contested by the accused.
The defence has previously denied wrongdoing and questioned the allegations made by the investigating agencies. The case is still at the trial stage, and the allegations against the accused have not been established as guilt.
The money laundering proceedings stem from a separate CBI case concerning the alleged irregularities in the award of the IRCTC hotel contracts.
With Saturday’s adjournment, the formal framing of charges will now be taken up on October 30. The court’s decision on the charges will determine the allegations that the accused will formally face as the trial moves forward.
