IRCTC Hotel Scam: Delhi High Court To Hear Lalu, Rabri and Tejashwi’s Pleas Against Framing of Charges
The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear criminal revision petitions filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav challenging the trial court’s order framing charges against them in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case.
What Is Listed Before The High Court?
As per the day’s cause list, the matter has been placed before the single‑judge Bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma for hearing on 19 January.
The petitions question the October 2025 order of the Rouse Avenue special court which directed framing of charges under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the alleged IRCTC hotel irregularities.
Lalu Family’s Arguments Before The Court
In their revision pleas, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav contend that the trial court proceeded to frame charges without properly appreciating the material on record and that the evidence does not disclose the ingredients of the offences alleged against them.
Tejashwi argues that even if the prosecution case is taken at face value, it does not make out a prima facie case warranting a full‑fledged trial under corruption and cheating provisions.
Earlier, the High Court had issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the pleas of Rabri Devi and Tejashwi and asked the agency to file a detailed response, indicating that all the revision petitions, including Lalu Prasad Yadav’s, would be heard together.
Allegations and Background of the Case
According to the CBI, the alleged offence traces back to the period when Lalu Prasad Yadav served as Union Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009 and is linked to later transactions also.
The agency alleges that two Railway hotels at Ranchi and Puri were first transferred to IRCTC and were then leased out for a long term to a Patna‑based private company, Sujata Hotels, through a tender process that was allegedly tailored to favour the firm.
In return, prime land in Patna was allegedly transferred at an undervalued rate to entities and relatives linked to the Lalu family, which the CBI terms an illicit quid pro quo or undue benefit.
Key Legal Timeline of the IRCTC Hotel Case
- 2004–2009: Period when Lalu Prasad Yadav held the Railway portfolio; alleged irregularities are said to have originated during this time.
- July 2017: The CBI registers an FIR and conducts searches, formally opening investigation into the IRCTC hotel allotment deal.
- April 2018: A detailed chargesheet is filed before the designated court naming Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others as accused.
- March 2025: Arguments on charge are concluded before the special CBI court at Rouse Avenue.
- 13 October 2025: The trial court orders framing of charges against all accused under IPC sections, including 120‑B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating), and under the Prevention of Corruption Act; the accused plead not guilty.
- January 2026: The Delhi High Court seeks a response from the CBI on the revision petitions and stays further proceedings to the extent of examining the challenge to the framing of charges.
Political and Legal Significance
The case is politically sensitive as the Lalu family continues to be a central force in Bihar politics, and any development in the IRCTC hotel scam proceedings is closely watched by both allies and rivals.
The High Court’s next orders will determine whether the trial before the Rouse Avenue court proceeds on the basis of the existing charges or whether the scope and nature of those charges will be reconsidered.
