Railway hotel tender case: CBI delays questioning of Lalu, Tejashwi on their request

After Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav’s request, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday gave both of them more time for questioning in Railway hotel tender case.

The CBI has asked Lalu to appear for questioning on October 5 and Tejashwi on October 6.

The CBI has taken decision after Lalu and Tejashwi sought more time to appear in CBI headquarter. Both of them expressed inability to appear in CBI headquarter.

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.

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.