The CBI has issued fresh summons to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav for questioning on Friday, in connection with alleged graft in giving maintenance contracts of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm.
Lalu, a former railway minister, has been asked to appear on 25 September, and Tejashwi the next day, CBI sources said.
They had earlier been called on 11 September but Lalu did not turn up, citing an ongoing court case in Ranchi where his presence was required, while Tejashwi claimed he had political commitments to take care of.
The CBI has alleged that Lalu, as railway minister, handed over maintenance of two hotels run by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, in Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, in return for a prime plot of three acres in Patna through a benami company.
The FIR alleged that, Lalu as the railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars, acquired a “high value premium land” through a benami firm Delight Marketing Company, and as a quid pro quo, “dishonestly and fraudulently” managed to lease two of the hotels.
The CBI has registered the case against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, a former Bihar chief minister, son Tejashwi, who was deputy CM until a few months ago, and Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, a former union minister.
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