IRCTC scam case: Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi ask Delhi court not to conduct day-to-day trial

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi have filed an application before a Delhi court requesting it not to conduct day-to-day trial of the IRCTC scam case in which both are facing criminal charges.

The application was moved in the court of Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne who asked the counsel of Mr. Yadav to supply a copy of the application to the Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the case, and said the agency may file a response.

During the hearing on Monday (October 27, 2025), the court conducted the chief examination of one of the witnesses produced by the prosecution. The court allowed the accused to do cross-examination at a later stage.

In their application, Mr. Yadav stated that a total of four criminal cases are pending against him and his family and the concerned courts have ordered day-to-day hearings in almost all of them. The application also cited the health condition of the elderly couple and the ongoing Assembly polls in Bihar. They requested the court to postpone the hearing by four weeks so they could go through the 18,000-page-long chargesheet and nearly 250 pages of the court order framing the charges.

The matter pertains to an FIR lodged by the CBI in 2017 against Mr. Yadav, his family, officers of the IRCTC and others. The central agency has alleged that Mr. Yadav, during his tenure as Union Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009, had entered into a criminal conspiracy with the owners of a few hotels in Patna and Puri. It is alleged that he manipulated the process and awarded tender to the accused persons in exchange for bribes in the form of high value land and shares.

After completion of the investigation, a chargesheet was filed against Mr. Yadav and 11 others. 

Noting that Mr. Yadav had abused his position as Railway Minister at the Centre and manipulated the eligibility conditions of the land tender, this court, on October 13, had framed charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy against Mr. Yadav. Mr Yadav’s wife and former Chief Minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav have been charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating in the same case.