Delhi court orders framing of money laundering charges against Lalu Prasad, son Tejashwi

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday ordered framing of money laundering charges against former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and six others in the Enforcement Directorate's case regarding the alleged IRCTC scam.

The court has already framed charges of corruption against the RJD patriarch and 11 others last October year in the CBI case in the alleged scam.

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On Thursday, Special Judge Vishal Gogne said there was a "strong suspicion" against seven persons for the offence of money laundering and that the nature, timing and course of investigation did not appear inspired by political vendetta as argued by the counsel for the accused persons.

The judge discharged seven accused in the case.

The CBI FIR had alleged that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as the railway minister in UPA-I, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, who was also a former Union minister.

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The ED registered the criminal case against Prasad's family members and others under the PMLA, based on this CBI FIR.

The ED had probed the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, according to the officials.

Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC managing director P K Goel.

The CBI FIR was registered on 5 July, 2018, in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as "quid pro quo".