New Delhi: A Delhi court Monday summoned RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav as accused in connection with the IRCTC hotels allotment money laundering case. The Additional Sessions Judge took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by Enforcement Directorate and directed all the accused to appear before the court on October 6. The court also issued production warrant against Prasad.
The court also summoned RJD member PC Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, a firm Lara Projects and 10 others, including IRCTC’s the then MD PK Goyal, as accused in the case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The court took note of the submissions made by ED’s special public prosecutor Atul Tripathy that prima facie there was enough evidence against the accused in the matter.
The agency said in its report that Prasad and IRCTC officials allegedly misused their position in granting sub-lease right of two railway hotels at Puri and Ranchi to Sujata Hotel Pvt Ltd, owned by Vinay Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar. Kochhars also own Chanakya Hotel in Patna.
In lieu of the hotels’ sub-lease, a prime plot of land in Patna was transferred to Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd (owned by a close associate of Yadav) in February 2005 at a rate which was much less than the then prevailing circle rates, the agency claimed. (PTI)
