In a setback to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday booked him, his wife Rabri Devi and his son and Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, along with some others in an alleged land-for-hotels scandal.
The agency conducted raids at 12 places in Delhi, Ranchi, Patna, Puri and Gurugram. The CBI, which also raided Lalu's residence in Patna, alleged that in 2006, as Railway Minister, he handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a private firm in exchange for a bribe in the form of three acres of prime land in Bihar's capital through a benami company.
The setback comes at a time when Lalu and his family are already facing a slew of corruption charges. Lalu termed the raids a political vendetta. "I am not afraid of such tactics, nor will they break me," he said in Ranchi.
The raids, however, renewed BJP calls for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to sack Lalu's two sons from the Cabinet and snap ties with the RJD. Lalu's other son Tej Pratap Yadav is Bihar's Health Minister.
The development comes at a time when Nitish's relations with his two Bihar allies — RJD and Congress — are already strained after he backed NDA's Presidential nominee and the Centre's GST initiative.
The CBI has accused Lalu of handing over two Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) hotels at Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotels, owned by Vinay Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar, by rigging tenders. The CBI has registered a case under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi and former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Prem Gupta's wife Sarla Gupta.
Vijay and Vinay Kochhar, who are also named in the FIR, were directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Panchari Hotel and Delight Marketing Company, now known as LARA Projects.
The FIR alleges that Lalu entered into a criminal conspiracy with the owners of Sujata Hotels, Sarla Gupta and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) officials for "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others".
The Congress also immediately accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of political vendetta. The BJP has denied the allegation.
CBI's Additional Director Rakesh Asthana, who 20 years ago also probed Bihar's infamous fodder scam against Lalu and others, said, "Between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched wherein BNR hotels were first transferred to the IRCTC and later, for their operations, maintenance and upkeep, given on lease to Sujata Hotels. The case was registered on July 5 after a preliminary enquiry."
He said the "deal was a quid pro quo". "The tender process was rigged to help Sujata Hotels. In return, three acres of land in Patna's Saguna More area was given to Delight Marketing, in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Lalu. For this, the tender process was manipulated and managed by PK Goel, the then MD of IRCTC," he said.
The CBI said it did not question anyone on Friday.
POLITICAL VENDETTA?
The raids renewed BJP calls for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to sack Lalu’s two sons from the Cabinet and snap ties with the RJD
Lalu termed the raids a political vendetta, saying he is not afraid of such tactics.
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