IRCTC hotel corruption case: Court rejects Lalu, Rabri plea for 1-week gap in hearings

NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue Court successful Delhi connected Tuesday dismissed the pleas filed by erstwhile railway curate Lalu Prasad Yadav and his woman Rabri Devi seeking to halt day-to-day hearings successful the IRCTC Hotels corruption case.Special justice Vishal Gogne rejected their petition for a one-week spread betwixt hearings, saying the plea was “not maintainable, practicable oregon justified.” The tribunal is presently signaling the prosecution’s grounds aft framing charges against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, their lad Tejashwi Yadav and different accused persons.In its order, the tribunal besides referred to the erstwhile absorption issued by the Delhi precocious court. "Apparently, acold from restricting the listing of specified matters to lone erstwhile a week, the High Court successful information directed that the listing beryllium astatine slightest erstwhile a week. Moreover, a circumstantial absorption was rendered for a day-to-day listing of the substance till the examination/cross-examination of witnesses was concluded," the bid stated. Senior counsel DP Singh, appearing for the prosecution, opposed the plea and argued that conducting the proceedings connected a day-to-day ground was the mandate of law.

He said that arsenic the designated tribunal for cases involving MPs and MLAs, the Rouse Avenue Court indispensable expedite proceedings arsenic per directions from some the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court’s bid of November 9, 2023.The defence counsel, however, requested much time, citing the ample measurement of documents and the magnitude of the complaint order. They said the lawsuit progressive implicit 18,000 documents and a complaint bid moving into 250 pages, which required capable clip for survey and mentation for cross-examination.Rejecting the request, the tribunal observed that capable clip had already been granted for cross-examining witnesses.The lawsuit relates to alleged corruption successful the tender process for 2 IRCTC hotels successful Ranchi and Puri during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure arsenic railway curate from 2004 to 2009.According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the contracts for the BNR Hotels successful Ranchi and Puri were awarded to Sujata Hotels, a backstage institution owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar, successful speech for 3 acres of premier onshore that was allegedly acquired by Lalu Prasad done a benami company.The CBI had filed an FIR connected July 7, 2017, followed by raids astatine 12 locations linked to Lalu and his household successful Patna, New Delhi, Ranchi and Gurgaon. A complaint expanse was aboriginal filed successful April 2018.The bureau has charged the accused nether Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and nether Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.The Rouse Avenue Court had earlier, connected October 13, framed charges and directed that the lawsuit beryllium heard connected a day-to-day ground to grounds prosecution evidence.