New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday adjourned, to January 19, the hearing on the petitions filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav challenging a trial court order directing the framing of charges against them in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case.

While posting both petitions for further hearing next week, the Delhi High Court also declined to stay the proceedings before the trial court at the present stage.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Lalu Prasad Yadav, contended that the charge sheet in the case was filed prior to the grant of sanction for prosecution. He further argued that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had failed to examine two private transactions which had no nexus with the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

Sibal submitted that the alleged transfers were carried out in accordance with government policy and could not be termed an offence under the PC Act.

He brought to the Delhi High Court’s notice that the trial court was conducting day-to-day hearings in the matter, a practice not followed in similar cases.

The Delhi High Court, on January 6, had issued notice to the CBI on Tejashwi Yadav’s plea challenging the trial court’s order after his counsel contended that a similar petition filed by Lalu Prasad Yadav was already listed on January 14.

Taking note of the submissions, it had directed that both pleas be heard together.

In his petition, Tejashwi Yadav has assailed the order passed by the Rouse Avenue Court, which found sufficient grounds to proceed against him and other accused for offences relating to corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating in connection with the IRCTC scam.

In an order passed on October 13, 2025, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts paved the way for the trial of Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, his son Tejashwi Yadav, and other accused under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, after they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The special court had reserved its order on May 29 after hearing detailed arguments on the issue of framing of charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members, Prem Gupta, Sarla Gupta and Railway officials Rakesh Saksena and P.K. Goyal.

The alleged scam pertained to the period between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Railway Minister.

During his tenure, two IRCTC hotels were allegedly given on lease without following prescribed norms. One of the hotels was allotted to Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Gupta, a close associate of the RJD chief and a Rajya Sabha MP at the time. As per the prosecution, the RJD leader got three acres of prime land through a benami company.

–IANS

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