CBI summons Lalu, son in ‘hotel scam’

New Delhi: The CBI has summoned former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in awarding the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm.

There seems to be no respite for RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members. The CBI has summoned him and his son Tejashwi for questioning in connection with the agency’s probe pertaining to the alleged irregularities committed in awarding tenders for development, maintenance and operation of railway hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a private company in 2006. Mr Lal Prasad Yadav was the railway minister in 2006.

Sources in the agency said the RJD chief has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarters here on September 11 and Tejashwi the next day. It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister had handed over the maintenance of two Railways hotels — BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri to Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, after receiving a bribe in the form of three acres of prime plot of land through a benami company.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also investigating the case, has summoned Vinay and Vijay Kochhar for questioning next week. The ED registered the case under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The CBI’s FIR alleged that Yadav, as a railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to the Kochhars and acquired the “high-value premium land” through a benami company named Delight. It alleged that Yadav, “dishonestly and fraudulently”, managed the award of leasing out BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of the Kochhars in quid pro quo transactions.

The CBI registered the case against Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of former union minister Prem Chand Gupta.