A special court in Delhi has ordered the framing of money laundering charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and his son Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC hotels case. The judge ruled that there is a strong suspicion of abuse of office and proceeds of crime generated through manipulated railway tenders and questionable land transfers during the period when Lalu Prasad Yadav served as the Union Railways Minister from 2004 to 2009.
Out of sixteen individuals and entities named in the charge sheet, the court ordered charges to be framed against nine, including the firm Lara Projects LLP, and discharged the remaining seven. Formal charges are expected to be read out to the nine accused on October 3 as the case moves to trial.
The Enforcement Directorate stated its investigation is not politically motivated, while the RJD has consistently described the cases against the family as politically driven attempts to target opposition leaders.