New Delhi: The Delhi High Court is set to hear pleas today from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, who are challenging a lower court's decision to frame criminal charges against them in the ongoing IRCTC hotel scam case. According to the official cause list, the criminal revision petitions will be heard by a single-judge Bench led by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Tuesday.
The petitions, filed individually by Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav, seek to overturn a trial court order that directed charges be framed for corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating. The High Court had earlier issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding these petitions, as well as on an application from Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav seeking a stay on the trial proceedings. Justice Sharma previously directed that all related pleas be heard together.
The legal challenge stems from an October 13, 2025 order by Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts. Judge Gogne paved the way for the trial after the accused pleaded not guilty to charges under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In her petition, Rabri Devi argues that the trial court failed to properly appreciate the evidence on record, framing charges against her based on "presumptions" rather than facts. Similarly, Tejashwi Yadav has questioned the legality of the order, contending that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him. Lalu Prasad Yadav has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that all tenders were awarded transparently and seeking his discharge from the case.
The case centers on allegations of irregularities during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009. The prosecution alleges that two IRCTC hotels were leased out in violation of prescribed norms, with one contract allegedly awarded to a firm linked to Sarla Gupta, the wife of RJD associate and then-Rajya Sabha MP Prem Gupta. The CBI claims that in exchange, the RJD leader acquired three acres of prime land through a benami company.
Inputs from IANS