IRCTC ‘scam’ case: Delhi HC asks CBI to reply to Lalu Prasad’s plea against charge framing order

The Delhi High Court on Monday (January 5, 2026) sought response of the CBI on a plea by RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav challenging an order framing charges against him in the alleged IRCTC scam case.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, however, refused to stay the trial, at this stage, in the case, and said it cannot do so without going through the probe agency’s reply.

The Court issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Mr. Yadav’s petition and stay application, and listed the matter for further hearing on January 14.

On October 13, 2025, the trial court had framed charges against the accused persons — Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and 11 others — in the case for the alleged offences of cheating, criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The former Union Railway Minister approached the High Court assailing the trial court’s order.

The trial Court had made a scathing observation that the land and share transactions in the case were “possibly an instance of crony capitalism fostered in the garb of eliciting private participation in the Railways’ hotels at Ranchi and Puri.”

Besides Lalu Yadav, the court had framed charges against Pradeep Kumar Goel, Rakesh Saksena, Bhupendra Kumar Agarwal, Rakesh Kumar Gogia and Vinod Kumar Asthana under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

Section 13 (2) deals with the punishment for criminal misconduct by a public servant, and Section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) with abuse of position by a public servant to obtain favours.

The court had also directed that the charge be framed under IPC section 420 (cheating) against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, M/s LARA Projects LLP, Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, Sarla Gupta, and Prem Chand Gupta.

“A common charge is directed to be framed against all (14) accused under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) IPC read with section 420 IPC and section 13(2) read with section 13(1)(d)(ii) and (iii) PC Act,” the court had said.

The maximum punishment under the PC Act is 10 years, while for cheating is seven years.