Railway hotel tender case: Lalu Yadav, son Tejashwi seek more time to join CBI probe

New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav, on Tuesday sought more time to appear before CBI in Railway hotel tender case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Lalu to appear for questioning on October 5 and Tejashwi on October 6, PTI quoted CBI sources as saying.

It is alleged that Lalu as railway minister handed over maintenance of two Railway hotels BNR Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotel (a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar) after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land of three acres through a benami company.

In July, CBI had registered a case against the then railway minister Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, Vijay Kochar and Vinay Kochar, both directors of Messer's Sujata Hotel Private Limited, Messer's Delight Marketing Private Limited, PK Goel, the then managing directors, IRCTC and unknown others under Section 120 B read with Section 420 of IPC and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)d prevention of corruption act 1988 in connection with the case.

The FIR alleged that Lalu as railway minister abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars, acquired a "high value premium land" through a benami company Delight and as a quid pro quo, dishonestly and fraudulently managed award of leasing BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars.