Lalu family ahead of the hearing in IRCTC scam case. (PTI photos)
NEW DELHI: In his first reaction after a Delhi court directed framing of charges against him and his parents in the IRCTC scam, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav called the legal troubles a “political vendetta”, which he said was bound to happen as elections are due in Bihar.”We will fight this case. We have been saying this from the beginning that since the elections are coming, all this will happen. We respect the verdict of the court. We will fight the case… The people of Bihar are smart, and they know what is happening. All this is a political vendetta,” Tejashwi Yadav said.Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Monday directed framing of charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and Bihar’s ex-CM Rabri Devi, and his son and state’s ex-dupty CM Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged IRCTC scam case.The court’s direction has set the stage for a trial against the Lalu family ahead of the Bihar assembly polls. Defending his father’s tenure as Union railway minister, Tejashwi said: The person who gave Rs 90,000 crore in profit to the Railways, who always reduced fares in every budget. He has been known as a historic Railway Minister. Students from Harvard and IIM came to study from Lalu ji. He has been known as the Management Guru. The people of Bihar and the country know the truth. I will keep fighting with the BJP as long as I am alive.” Special Judge Vishal Gogne framed common charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating against Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav in the case, which stems from alleged irregularities in the grant of operational contracts of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels to a private firm.On September 24, the court had directed all accused to appear in person for its order on framing of charges.According to the CBI chargesheet, a conspiracy was allegedly hatched between 2004 and 2014, under which the Indian Railways’ BNR hotels in Puri and Ranchi were first transferred to IRCTC and later leased out to Sujata Hotels Private Limited, a Patna-based company, for their operations, maintenance, and upkeep.The CBI alleged that the tender process was manipulated and the terms were altered to favour Sujata Hotels.The chargesheet also names IRCTC group general managers V. K. Asthana and R. K. Goyal, along with Sujata Hotels directors Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, who also own Chanakya Hotel. Two firms, Delight Marketing Company (now Lara Projects) and Sujata Hotels Private Limited, have been named as accused in the case.