HC seeks CBI stand on plea by Rabri Devi against framing of charges in IRCTC case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the stand of the CBI on a petition by Rabri Devi, wife of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister, challenging the framing of charges in the alleged IRCTC scam case.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice on her petition and listed it for hearing on January 19, when similar petitions by her husband and son Tejashwi Yadav are also listed.

On October 13, 2025, the trial court framed charges against Lalu, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and 11 others in the case for the alleged offences of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption under the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In her petition, Rabri Devi said the trial court "presumed" her role in the alleged conspiracy when no material was available to suggest her involvement.

"It is a matter of record that neither A-1 (Lalu) nor his family members, including the petitioner, was ever involved in the tender process for BNR Hotels at Ranchi and Puri. It is admitted fact by the prosecution that the A-1 never issued any instruction either oral or document during the tender process for BNR Hotels at Ranchi and Puri," the petition said.

"The Special Court has passed the impugned charge order mere on the presumption that A-1 was Minister of Railway and posted at high level, hence there may be a possibility that he would have influence the officials posted at IRCTC to manipulate the tender process, which shall be adjudicated after the trial," it added.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged in its chargesheet that between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in which BNR hotels of the Indian Railways, located in Puri and Ranchi, were first transferred to IRCTC and then given on lease to Patna-based Sujata Hotels Pvt Ltd for operations, maintenance and upkeep.

According to an FIR flied by the CBI, Yadav, the then railway minister, entered into a criminal conspiracy with the owner of Sujata Hotels, Sarla Gupta, wife of his close associate Prem Chand Gupta, a Rashtriya Janata Dal MP in Rajya Sabha, and IRCTC officials for "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others".

The probe agency also alleged that BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a "rigged and manipulated" tender process managed by P K Goyal, the then managing director of IRCTC.

Besides Lalu Yadav, the court had framed charges against Pradeep Kumar Goel, Rakesh Saksena, Bhupendra Kumar Agarwal, Rakesh Kumar Gogia and Vinod Kumar Asthana under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

Section 13 (2) deals with the punishment for criminal misconduct by a public servant, and Section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) with abuse of position by a public servant to obtain favours.

The court had also directed that the charge be framed under IPC section 420 (cheating) against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, M/s LARA Projects LLP, Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, Sarla Gupta, and Prem Chand Gupta.

"A common charge is directed to be framed against all (14) accused under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) IPC read with section 420 IPC and section 13(2) read with section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) PC Act," the court had said.

The maximum punishment under the PC Act is 10 years, while for cheating is seven years.