Lalu Prasad Yadav Moves Delhi High Court Against Framing of Charges in Alleged IRCTC Hotel Scam

New Delhi, Jan 2026 : Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav has approached the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court order that directed the framing of criminal charges against him and several members of his family in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case.

Lalu Prasad has filed a criminal revision petition questioning the legality and validity of the order passed by the Rouse Avenue Court, which had held that sufficient material existed to proceed against the accused for offences linked to corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating. The petition contends that the trial court erred in appreciating the facts and evidence placed before it while deciding to frame charges.

According to the cause list available on the Delhi High Court’s official website, the matter is slated to be heard on January 5 before a single-judge Bench presided over by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. The High Court will examine whether the trial court’s order warrants interference at the revision stage.

In its order dated October 13, 2025, Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts had cleared the way for a full-fledged trial against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, their son and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, and other accused persons. The court framed charges under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, after all the accused pleaded not guilty.

The special court had reserved its decision on May 29, 2025, after hearing extensive arguments from both the prosecution and the defence on the issue of framing of charges. Apart from members of the Yadav family, the accused include Prem Gupta, his wife Sarla Gupta, and former railway officials Rakesh Saksena and P.K. Goyal.

The case relates to alleged irregularities during the period between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Prasad was serving as the Union Railway Minister. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that during his tenure, two hotels belonging to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) were leased out in violation of prescribed norms. One of these hotels was allegedly allotted to Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Gupta, a close associate of Lalu Prasad and a Rajya Sabha MP at the time.

According to the prosecution, the alleged quid pro quo involved the transfer of around three acres of prime land to Lalu Prasad’s family through a benami company. The CBI has claimed that the land was obtained in exchange for granting favourable treatment in the hotel lease process.

Lalu Prasad, however, has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that the tenders were awarded in a transparent and fair manner. He has asserted that there were no procedural violations or personal gains involved and had earlier sought discharge from the case, which was rejected by the trial court.

Meanwhile, the legal troubles for the Yadav family have intensified further. In a recent development, a Delhi court dismissed multiple pleas filed by Rabri Devi and other family members seeking the transfer of several corruption and money-laundering cases from the court of Special Judge Vishal Gogne. Principal District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge (PC Act) Dinesh Bhatt rejected four transfer petitions related to the IRCTC hotel scam, the CBI’s land-for-jobs case, and two connected money-laundering cases being pursued by the Enforcement Directorate.

With the dismissal of these transfer applications, all cases involving Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and other accused family members will continue to be heard by the same special court, even as the Delhi High Court prepares to hear Lalu Prasad’s challenge to the framing of charges.

Team Maverick.