Overview
- Special Judge Vishal Gogne directed trial on charges that include criminal misconduct and conspiracy to cheat for Lalu Prasad, with Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav charged with cheating and criminal conspiracy.
- The court’s prima facie order cites grave suspicion of manipulated tender conditions, undervalued land transfers and subsequent control shifting to family-linked entities.
- The case concerns alleged rigging of leases for IRCTC’s BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri in favour of Sujata Hotels during 2004–2009, with land routed through Delight Marketing (now Lara Projects) and shares later transferred to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi between 2010 and 2014.
- Other accused moving to trial include IRCTC officials V. K. Asthana and R. K. Goyal, businessmen Vijay and Vinay Kochhar, and firms Sujata Hotels and Delight Marketing/Lara Projects.
- The development comes weeks before Bihar’s assembly polls, as the CBI leads the prosecution and the Yadav family maintains the case is politically motivated.