Explained: What Is The IRCTC Scam? Who All Are Accused In It?

Of late, a Delhi court responded negatively concerning a plea to cancel the bail granted to Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav. The case is related to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels' contracts. The court reasoned that there were no specific grounds to revoke the relief granted to Yadav in his bail hearings.

What happened in the court?

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Even though the CBI's petition was declined, Special Judge Geetanjali Goel asked Yadav to practice caution and avoid the unjust criticism of the CBI in front of the media and the general public.

Earlier, in the Rouse Avenue Court, the CBI had requested to cancel the bail application of Yadav by arguing that he was attempting to badmouth the central agency by stating that political parties influenced the latter's work. The main accusation by the CBI was that Yadav had tried to compromise the due process of law and influence the CBI's investigation in the railway scam case by threatening its officers. The CBI also accused Yadav of using phrases like maar-pitai and gunda gardi against it.

However, the court agreed with Yadav's lawyer, Advocate Maninder Singh, that the central agency could have availed other remedies, such as filing for defamation, or its officers could have registered an FIR against Yadav if they felt threatened by his words. However, no action of this sort was taken by the concerned agency.

What did both parties say?

The CBI's lawyer, Advocate DP Singh, argued that Yadav's statements were not related to a particular case but were a part of his larger plan to cause a scandal and prevent the court trial from concluding on a logical note.

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On the other hand, Yadav's lawyer had argued that while the CBI was raiding a mall on 24th August, a rumor had spread that he owned the mall. Consequently, Yadav held a press conference to clarify that he didn't own any such mall and asked the CBI officers to follow professional conduct. Yadav's lawyer also argued that the officers of the CBI misinterpreted these statements as a threat.

What is the matter all about?

In October 2018, the court granted bail to Yadav after summoning him in a case relating to the alleged irregularities in giving operational contracts of two hotels belonging to the IRCTC to a private firm. It was the time when his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, was serving as the Railway Minister.

According to CBI's charge sheet, a conspiracy was executed between 2004 and 2014, in which the BNR hotels of Pune and Ranchi belonging to the Indian Railways were first transferred to the IRCTC. However, the lease for the maintenance, operations, and upkeep was given to Sujata Hotels Private Limited. This firm is located in Patna, Bihar.

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The CBI later filed an FIR against Lalu Yadav, accusing him of entering into a criminal conspiracy with Sarla Gupta (the owner of Sujata Hotels and the wife of Lalu's close aide Prem Chand Gupta, an MP from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the Rajya Sabha) and some IRCTC officials to cause pecuniary and undue advantage to himself and others.

The FIR also accused PK Goyal, the then IRCTC's managing director, of organizing a manipulated and rigged tender process through which the BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels Pvt. Ltd.

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