Hotels-for-land scam: Lalu Yadav to appear before CBI on Sept 11, Tejashwi on Sep 12

The RJD leader has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarter on September 11 and Tejashwi on September 12.

The CBI on Thursday issued fresh summons to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi in connection with irregularities in awarding the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm during the former’s tenure as the railway minister.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav arrives to appear in Special CBI Court in connection with the fodder scam case, in Ranchi on August 31. (PTI File Photo)

The RJD leader has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarter on September 11 and Tejashwi the next day, agency officials said.

Here is a timeline of events

18.9.2001: Railway board decides to transfer complete management of catering services, including railway hotels, to IRCTC

9.3.2004: Indian Railways signs MoU with IRCTC detailing the modalities of transfer of management of static and mobile catering to IRCTC

May 2004: Lalu Prasad becomes railway minister

31.8.2004: Chairman of railway board tells railway board that “only catering managed by private contractors pertaining to pantry, refreshment room should be transferred to IRCTC and department catering shall continue to remain with railway at present”.

30.11.2004: Secretary of railway board informs Yadav about the taking over of existing railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri by IRCTC

25.02.2005: Railways informs IRCTC about the transfer of BNR hotels to IRCTC. The same day land owned by Harsh Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar of Sujatha Hotels sold to Delight Marketing Company for Rs1.47Cr, less than the prevailing market rate

25.08.2005: Secretary of railway board sends to Lalu minutes of the board meeting related to transfer of hotels in Ranchi and Puri

10.7.2006: Director IRCTC moves proposal for development of BNR hotels through Private- Public Partnership

03.11.2006: Advertisement seeking bids from private contractors published

13.11.2006: Director IRCTC amends the eligibility condition. The amendment allows Sujatha Hotels to bid for contract

15.11.2006: Fresh advertisements issued based on amended eligibility

27.12.2006: Sujata Hotels win contract for the two railways (BNR) hotels in Ranchi and Puri

May 2010 - February 2014: Delight marketing company controlled by Sarla Gupta begins gradual transfer of land to Lalu’s wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi

5. 7. 2017: The CBI files regular case

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 FIR alleged that Yadav, as a railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars and acquired the “high-value premium land” through a benami company Delight.

It alleged that Yadav, “dishonestly and fraudulently”, managed the award of leasing out BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars in quid pro quo transactions.

Reacting to the CBI summon, RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav that the government was adopting different yardstick in dealing with Prasad and those guilty of swindling public money in the Rs 1,300 crore Srijan government fund transfer scandal in Bihar.

He questioned why the Central government did not show the same alacrity in acting against the accused in the Srijan scam. He said there was no point raising brouhaha over a CBI notice to Prasad.

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

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel; Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director P K Goel.

(with inputs from PTI)