Delhi High Court Responds to Lalu Prasad Yadav's Challenge in IRCTC Hotel Scam Case

Court Issues Notice to CBI Regarding Lalu Prasad Yadav's Plea

New Delhi: On Monday, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in response to a petition from former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is contesting a trial court's decision that mandated the framing of criminal charges against him and his family in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam.

After a brief hearing, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, presiding over a single-judge bench, requested the CBI's response and issued notices concerning both the criminal revision petition and the stay application submitted by Yadav.

The case is scheduled for further proceedings on January 14.

Lalu Prasad, who leads the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has challenged the ruling from the Rouse Avenue Court, which found adequate grounds to initiate proceedings against him and others for corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating related to the IRCTC scam.

In an order dated October 13, 2025, Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts allowed the trial to proceed against Lalu Prasad, his son Tejashwi Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and other defendants under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, along with the Prevention of Corruption Act, after they pleaded not guilty.

The special court had reserved its decision on May 29 following extensive arguments regarding the charges against Lalu Prasad, his family, Prem Gupta, Sarla Gupta, and Railway officials Rakesh Saksena and P.K. Goyal.

The alleged scam occurred between 2004 and 2009 during Lalu Prasad's tenure as Union Railway Minister.

During this period, two hotels were leased without adhering to proper procedures.

One of these hotels was allocated to Sarla Gupta, the spouse of Prem Gupta, a close associate of Lalu Prasad and a Rajya Sabha MP at that time. The prosecution claims that Lalu Prasad acquired three acres of valuable land through a benami company.

Lalu Prasad maintains that he acted without any wrongdoing, asserting that the tenders were awarded transparently and has requested to be discharged from the case.