Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 10: A Delhi court on Thursday ordered the framing of money laundering charges against former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and four others in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case linked to the alleged IRCTC scam.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne said there was a "strong suspicion" against the seven accused for the offence of money laundering. The court also observed that the nature, timing and course of the investigation did not appear to be inspired by political vendetta, as argued by the counsel representing the accused.

The court discharged nine other accused in the case.

The development comes after the court framed corruption charges against Lalu Prasad and 11 others in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case linked to the alleged scam in October last year.

The CBI FIR alleged that Lalu Prasad, while serving as railway minister during the UPA-I government, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels to a private company in 2004 in return for a prime piece of land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta, wife of former Union minister Prem Chand Gupta.

The ED registered its money laundering case against Lalu Prasad's family members and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on the CBI FIR.

According to officials, the ED investigated the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies.

Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, directors of Sujata Hotels, Delight Marketing, now known as Lara Projects, and then IRCTC managing director P K Goel.

The CBI registered the FIR on July 5, 2018, alleging that favours were extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding contracts for the upkeep of IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri, in return for premium land as "quid pro quo".