Lalu Prasad questioned by CBI in alleged hotels-for-land scam

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former railway minister Lalu Prasad is being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi in connection witth the railway hotel tender case.

During his tenure as the railways minister from 2004 to 2009, Lalu allegedly handed over maintenance deals of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels – BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri – to Sujata Hotel, a private firm owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar.

CBI claims that RJD chief received a bribe in the form of three acres of the prime plot of land through a benami company, Delight.

The agency first summoned Lalu and his son to appear for questioning on September 11 and September 12. The father-son duo later sought more time to appear before the CBI.

On July 7, 2017, the CBI had filed a FIR against Lalu. On the same day, the agency also raided 12 locations linked to Lalu and his family members in Patna, New Delhi, Ranchi, and Gurgaon.

The alleged involvement of Lalu and his family members, especially of his son Tejashwi, had led to politicial turmoil in Bihar. Tejashwi was the Deputy Chief Minister at the time, and his alleged involvement had led to the breaking of ties between the RJD and Nitish Kumar's JDU.