NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought a response from the CBI on a plea filed by former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi challenging the framing of charges against her in a corruption case related to the alleged IRCTC scam.
Similar pleas were earlier filed by Devi’s husband and former Union Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and son and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, who are also co-accused in the case.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the central probe agency on Devi’s petition, and directed it to file its response by January 19, when the three petitions will be taken up for hearing.
The appeals have been filed against the trial court passed on October 13, 2025, framing charges against Rabri, Lalu, Tejashwi and 11 others for the alleged offences of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption under the Indian Penal Code and under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In her petition, Devi has claimed that the trial court “presumed” her role in the alleged conspiracy when no material even suggested her involvement.
The CBI chargesheet alleged 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.
The CBI alleged that Yadav, the then railway minister, entered into a criminal conspiracy with the owner of Sujata Hotels, Sarla Gupta, who was the wife of Yadav’s close associate and a Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha MP, Prem Chand Gupta, 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.
If convicted, the accused may get a maximum punishment of 10 years in the case.
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