Delhi HC seeks CBI reply to Tejashwi Yadav's plea against framing of charges in IRCTC corruption case

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a plea filed by former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav against a trial court order framing criminal charges against him and his family members in the alleged IRCTC scam case. .Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Maninder Singh appeared for Yadav and informed the Bench that a similar case filed by Lalu Yadav is listed on January 14. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said that Tejashwi Yadav's case will be considered on the same date. The Court also directed CBI to file its response. .On October 13, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts framed charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating against Lalu Yadav. Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi are charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating..The CBI has alleged that Lalu Yadav and his family accepted prime land and shares as bribes for awarding contracts to a private firm while he was Union Railway Minister.According to the allegations, during Yadav's tenure as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009, two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri were leased to a company named Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process. In return, land worth crores was transferred to a company allegedly linked to Lalu’s wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav at a fraction of its market value. The Yadav family has questioned the probe and said that there was no evidence against them. They maintain that the case is politically motivated. .In a detailed order, the trial court said that it had come to a prima facie conclusion that Lalu Yadav was in the complete know of the processes. The Court intervened to influence the transfer of the hotels. “There were material modifications in the tender process…It has emerged as a distinct possibility that at the point of sale, the land parcels were undervalued and then came to be vested in the hands of Lalu Yadav,” the trial court said. Yadav has approached the High Court against the same..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.