New Delhi, Jan 19 (UNI) A Delhi Court on Saturday extended the interim bail to prime accused former Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad and others in IRCTC scam case filed by the CBI and ED.
The CBI has registered a case in July last year against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, wife of former Union Minister Prem Chand Gupta—Sarla Gupta, Directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel—Vijay and Vinay Kochhar and former IRCTC Managing Director P K Goel.
It was alleged that Rashtriya Janta Dal leader had abused his official position for extending undue favours to the Kochhar.
The CBI has filed a chargesheet on 16 April last year, by submitting before the court that there were sufficient evidence against Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi and other accused in the case related to alleged irregularities in granting operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm.
According to CBI, the RJD leader, when he was the Railway Minister, handed over the maintenance of two hotels run by the IRCTC, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways in Ranchi and Puri, to Sujata Hotel-- a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar in return for a prime plot of three acres in Patna through a ‘benami’ company Delight Marketing Company.
It was alleged that when the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotel, the ownership of Delight Marketing Company changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav between 2010 and 2014.
Lalu has filed a bail application before the court through his counsel while CBI and ED opposed the bail plea before the court by submitting that the leader is an influential person and could hamper the investigation if granted bail.
CBI Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj on Saturday after hearing the matter extended the interim bail to Lalu, Rabri and Tejashvi till January 28 and also adjourned the matter for further hearing on February 11.
UNI XC PS1610