IRCTC hotels scam: Lalu Yadav appears before CBI in Delhi for questioning

New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Yadav on Thursday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its headquarters in New Delhi for questioning in connection with Railway hotel tender case.

The interrogation is in connection with three acres of the prime plot of land in Patna through a benami company Delight.

The investigative agency had, in July, registered a corruption case against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, his son Tejashwi Yadav, 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, P.K. Goel, the then Managing Directors, IRCTC and unknown others under Section 120 B read with Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)d Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 in connection with the case.

The FIR lodged by the CBI against RJD chief stated that there were irregularities in awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri when Lalu was the Railways Minister from 2004 to 2009.

The investigating agency has alleged that the tender process was rigged, manipulated and the conditions were tweaked by the then Railway Minister to help a private hotel company.

Yadav had allegedly got the land from companies – a return for the favours they received during his tenure as the railways minister.

One of the alleged beneficiaries of the property was Lalu's son Tejaswi Yadav. He will be questioned on Friday.

The agency first summoned Lalu and his son to appear for questioning on September 11 and September 12. The father-son duo later sought more time to appear before the CBI.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had in July ended his alliance with Lalu Yadav and the Congress.

(With agency inputs)