Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday appeared before the CBI following multiple summons for questioning in railway hotels maintenance contract case.
Mr. Prasad reached the CBI headquarters in New Delhi around 10:45 a.m. He was accompanied by his daughter and MP, Misa Bharti, who is also being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case involving shell companies.
The CBI has also summoned Mr. Prasad's son Tejaswi, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, in the maintenance contract case. Mr. Tejaswi may join the probe on Friday.
The case pertains to corruption allegations in awarding maintenance contracts of two railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri to Patna-based Sujata Hotels in 2006. The hotels were first transferred to IRCTC and then to the company. Mr. Prasad was the Railway Minister then.
The CBI alleges that there was a conspiracy in ensuring that the contracts went to Sujata Hotels, in lieu of a three-acre commercial property in Patna that was acquired through a company, Delight Marketing Company.
Sujata Hotels owners Vinay and Vijay Kochhar have been made accused in the case.
The company, which bought the property from the Kochhars, was later taken over by Mr. Prasad's wife, Rabri Devi and Mr. Tejaswi, alleges the CBI. Sarla Gupta, wife of Mr. Prasad’s close associate Prem Chand Gupta, was the director of Delight Marketing Company and so, she has also been named as an accused.
Besides, then IRCTC Managing Director P. K. Goel is also accused of his involvement.
Based on the CBI case, the Enforcement Directorate has initiated a money laundering probe into the same set of allegations and has summoned Ms. Rabri Devi next week.
