In Pics: CBI raids Lalu Yadav and family’s properties over IRCTC tender charges

The CBI on Friday raided 12 premises associated with Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi, over corruption charges in awarding a tender for the maintenance of IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The CBI on Friday swooped in on RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, raiding 12 locations associated with him across the country, including his Patna home, over alleged irregularities in awarding of tenders for hotel maintenance in 2006 when the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief was the railways minister.

Already embroiled in the reopened fodder scam case, Lalu Pradad Yadav is now under the scanner with investigations ranging from his properties to irregularities over tender allocations during his tenure as Railways Minister. (PTI)

Police officials arrive at Lalu Prasad’s residence in Patna as the CBI conducts simultaneous raids across 12 locations associated with Yadav and his family. (AP Dube/HT Photo)

The simultaneous raids in Bihar’s capital Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon in Haryana, Puri in Odisha, and Ranchi in Jharkhand began at around 7:30am.

Police officials cordon off the entrance to Lalu Prasad’s residence in Patna while the CBI conducts raids, on July 7, 2017 (AP Dube/HT Photo)

The case has been registered against Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi, who is the deputy chief minister of Bihar, CBI sources said. The then Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation managing director PK Goyal and the wife of Prasad’s confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, are among the other accused. Gupta is a former union corporate affairs minister.

RJD members and supporters gather outside Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Patna residence as word breaks of a CBI raid at the premises. (AP Dube/HT Photo)

A view of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Farm House Sarla Villa in Shakuntla Farms, also raided by CBI early morning on July 7, 2017 in New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

The RJD chief was not at his home when a CBI team reached his residence at 10, Circular Road in Patna. He is in Ranchi to appear in a CBI court in the fodder scandal that involves large-scale embezzlement of government funds.

Rakesh Asthana, additional Director CBI addresses a press conference as the CBI registers a case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and son on July 7, 2017 in New Delhi. (Arun Sharma / HT Photo)

The CBI team conducting the raids across multiple cities is so far mum over their investigations. (AP Dube/HT Photo)

The CBI is examining tenders awarded to private firms for operating railway hotels close to stations. Among the places raided are a few farm houses and two hotels, including Ranchi’s Chanakya BNR hotel.

The raid, said to be an operation conducted by the Delhi team of the investigating agency has CBI and police tight-lipped over the searches.