CBI Raids At Premises Of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Over Hotel Tender Irregularities:- A case has been registered by the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) against former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and his son Tejashwi Yadav on the charges of corruption, during his tenure as the Union Minister in 2006.

The raids are being carried out 12 locations by the CBI, including the residences of Lalu Prasad Yadav, in Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, Puri and Gurgaon. The searches began at 5.30 am this morning. The agency officials have even conducted raids at Rabri Devi’s current residence 10, Circular Road. Apart from these, raids in New Delhi were being conducted in New Friends Colony. In Odisha, raids were carried out at Chanakya BNR Hotel in Puri.

The case is related to alleged irregularities in tenders allotted to a private company Sujata Hotels for maintenance, development, and operation of BNR hotels at Ranchi and Puri. The BNR hotels are Railways’ heritage hotels which IRCTC took over for the public transporter earlier in the same year. Mr Yadav has been accused of illegally facilitating a lease to a private company to run two hotels when he was the country’s Railways Minister in 2008, in exchange for a two acre plot in Patna, where a mall is being built. The CBI alleges that the Patna land was illegally transferred to Mr Yadav’s family as a favor, in exchange for a 15-year lease given to an entrepreneur named Harsh Kocchar to run two hotels for the Railways in Puri and Ranchi.

Mr Kocchar sold the two-acre plot in Patna to a company owned by the wife of an MP from Lalu’s party named Prem Gupta. Later, the land was transferred in the name of Mr Yadav’s wife and sons. Mr Yadav has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that Mr Kochhar was given the Railways hotels as the highest bidder in a transparent process.

Former Managing Director, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) P K Goel, Sujata, wife of Yadav’s confidante Prem Chand Gupta, two directors of a private company, have also been booked by CBI in connection with the case, among others.

BJP legislature party leader Sushil Kumar Modi had revealed, earlier this year, that two railways hotels had been allotted “in contravention of tender norms and at throwaway prices”. Modi had alleged that the beneficiary had transferred precious plots at Patna – where a big mall has been coming up- via RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta.

Several RJD leaders, who gathered at Lalu Prasad’s residence to express solidarity, accused the NDA government of ‘political vendetta’ as Lalu Prasad had always targeted ‘communal agenda’ of BJP. A party leader said: “RJD rally scheduled for August 27 would be conducted even if he is arrested.”

Meanwhile, BJP Leader Giriraj Singh spoke to news agency ANI, and said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar can no longer remain quiet on corruption charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav. “Law is taking its course. Now Nitish Kumar ji cannot remain a mute spectator. He will have to speak out and state his stand clearly,” Singh said.

Under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA-I) government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lalu served as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.

SUPRAJA