Delhi Court Orders Money Laundering Charges in IRCTC Case

A Delhi court has ordered the framing of money-laundering charges against former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav in connection with the alleged IRCTC hotel contract case. The order, issued on Thursday, marks a procedural step and is not a finding of guilt. Special Judge Vishal Gogne stated that there was a "strong suspicion" of money-laundering offenses against seven individuals. The court rejected the defense's argument that the investigation was politically motivated, observing that the nature, timing, and course of the probe did not support such a claim. The court also discharged seven other accused from the case, though reports differ on the exact number of individuals discharged. The allegations stem from the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) probe into a scheme where, according to the CBI, maintenance contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels in Ranchi and Puri were awarded to Sujata Hotels. In return, the CBI alleges, a prime plot of land in Patna was transferred to a company linked to the Yadav family at a price substantially below its market value.