IRCTC hotel scam: CBI summons Lalu Yadav, son Tejashwi next week

The CBI has summoned RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and son Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged railway hotel tender case.

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New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday summoned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotel scam.

The CBI has asked Lalu to appear for questioning on September 11, and his son Tejashwi on the next day - September 12.

During his tenure as the railway minister in 2006, Lalu allegedly awarded the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels – BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri – to a private firm Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar.

CBI claims the RJD chief received a bribe in the form of three acres of the prime plot of land through a benami company Delight.

On July 7, 2017, the CBI had filed a FIR against Lalu. On the same day, the agency also raided 12 locations linked to Lalu and his family members in Patna, New Delhi, Ranchi, and Gurgaon.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of former union minister Prem Chand Gupta.

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel; Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director P K Goel.

The land scam and corruption charges led to a rift between the grand alliance of Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] and RJD, with Tejashwi Yadav losing his position as the Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister and JDU forming a new coalition with BJP.

With PTI inputs