NEW DELHI | October 29, 2026 ; The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a petition filed by former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, challenging a trial court order directing the framing of money-laundering charges against him in the alleged IRCTC hotel scam case.
Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to the ED and scheduled the next hearing for December 3, 2026.
🔎 WHAT IS THE CASE ABOUT?
The case stems from allegations relating to the award of contracts for leasing two railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotels during the period from 2004 to 2014.
The CBI’s FIR alleges that Yadav entered into a criminal conspiracy with hotel owner Sarla Gupta, wife of RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta, and certain IRCTC officials to obtain undue financial benefits for himself and others.
These allegations form the basis of the related proceedings by the ED under money-laundering law.
⚖️ WHAT IS LALU PRASAD YADAV’S ARGUMENT?
In his petition, Yadav challenged the trial court’s September 10 order, arguing that money-laundering charges were framed against him merely because charges had been framed in the underlying scheduled offence.
His petition contends that he was never involved in any process or activity connected with the alleged proceeds of crime. It also points out that, according to his plea, the ED had never summoned him for investigation.
Yadav has argued that the trial court’s order is legally unsustainable. These are submissions made in his petition, not findings by the High Court.
🏛️ WHO ELSE FACES CHARGES?
On September 10, the trial court ordered the framing of money-laundering charges against:
🔹 Lalu Prasad Yadav
🔹 Rabri Devi, his wife
🔹 Tejashwi Yadav, his son
🔹 Six other accused
The trial court stated that the allegations concerning the period from 2005 to 2014 indicated that, under Yadav’s leadership, railway officials had manipulated a tender for the hotel leases awarded to Sujata Hotels.
Of the 16 accused in the case, seven were discharged by the trial court.
Separately, the trial court had framed corruption charges against Yadav and 11 others in October 2025 in the CBI case.
📅 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The ED will now have an opportunity to respond to Yadav’s challenge before the High Court takes up the matter again on December 3.
The latest development concerns the challenge to the trial court’s order on framing charges; it is not a final ruling on the merits of the allegations.
📌 THE BIG PICTURE
The case continues to move through the judicial process, with questions surrounding alleged tender manipulation, financial benefits and the legal basis for money-laundering charges still before the courts.
The next hearing will be an important step in examining Yadav’s challenge, while the allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
