ഐആർസിടിസി ഹോട്ടൽ അഴിമതിക്കേസിൽ തനിക്കെതിരെ കള്ളപ്പണം വെളുപ്പിക്കൽ കുറ്റം ചുമത്തിയ വിചാരണക്കോടതി ഉത്തരവിനെതിരെ ലാലു പ്രസാദ് യാദവ് നൽകിയ ഹർജിയിൽ ഡൽഹി ഹൈക്കോടതി ഇഡിയോട് മറുപടി തേടി. കുറ്റകൃത്യത്തിലൂടെ ലഭിച്ച പണവുമായി തനിക്ക് ബന്ധമില്ലെന്ന് ലാലു വാദിക്കുന്നു. ഡിസംബർ മൂന്നിന് കോടതി കേസ് വീണ്ടും പരിഗണിക്കും.
Delhi High Court issued notice to the ED on Lalu Prasad Yadav's petition challenging money laundering charges. The case tests his claim that he had no link to the alleged proceeds of crime.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the Enforcement Directorate's response to former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's petition challenging a trial court order to frame money laundering charges against him in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam, the Press Trust of India reported.
Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Yadav's petition against the trial court's September 10 order. The High Court will hear the matter on December 3.
The ED case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR alleging that Yadav entered into a criminal conspiracy with Sujata Hotels owner Sarla Gupta, the wife of his close associate and Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha MP Prem Chand Gupta, and IRCTC officials. The alleged conspiracy was aimed at securing an "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others" between 2004 and 2014.
In his petition, Yadav said the trial court ordered the framing of money laundering charges merely because charges had been framed against him in the related offence. He argued that it was on record that he was "never involved in any process or activity connected with the alleged proceeds of crime".
The petition described the trial court's order as clearly flawed and legally unsustainable. It also said Yadav was never summoned by the ED for investigation, which showed that he had not been involved in any activity linked to the alleged proceeds of crime.
On September 10, the trial court ordered the framing of money laundering charges against Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, their son Tejashwi Yadav and six others. According to the Press Trust of India, the court said the ED's allegations covering the period from 2005 to 2014 strongly indicated that, under Yadav's stewardship, railway officials manipulated a tender to award the lease of railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotels.
The trial judge discharged seven of the 16 accused. In October last year, the trial court had also framed corruption charges against Yadav and 11 others in the CBI case linked to the alleged scam.
The High Court will now consider the ED's response to Yadav's challenge against the money laundering charges when it hears the case on December 3.