LARA money laundering case: Court defers framing of charges to Oct 30

The Rouse Avenue court has postponed the formal framing of charges in the LARA projects money laundering case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav until October 30. The case is connected to the IRCTC hotel tender scam.

The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday deferred the formal framing of charges in LARA projects money laundering case till October 30. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav appeared before the court.

This Money laundering case is connected with IRCTC CBI case. Special Judge (MP-MLA cases) Prashant Kumar deferred the formal framing of charges till October 30. The ED has been directed to take instructions in view of the direction passed by the predecessor court.

While passing direction to frame charges the predecessor court had said that it will pass formal framing of charges and same will be intimated to the present court. The accused would appear before the court and sign the formal charges. The date for appearance of Accused persons was fixed for October 3.

Background of the Order

The Predecessor Special (MP-MLA Cases) Judge Vishal Gogne, while sitting in Dwarka court after his transfer from Rouse Avenue court, on September 10, directed to frame money laundering Charges against LARA Projects, Rabri Devi, Tejaswi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, PC Gupta , Sarala Gupta, Sujata Hotels and Vijay Kochar and Vinay Kochar for the money laundering offences.

However, before passing the formal charge framing order, the then Special Judge was transferred to the Delhi High Court as Registrar (VIGILANCE). The order on charge was reserved by special Judge Vishal Gogne. Thereafter he was transferred to Dwarka District court.

During the hearing on Saturday advocate Manu Mishra alongwith Inam appeared for the ED and undertook to take instructions. On the other hand, Advocates Navin Kumar, Varun Jain appeared for Lalu family.

Details of the Allegations

This alleged money laundering case is linked with the irregularities linked with IRCTC hotel tender scam case registered by the CBI. Special Judge Vishal Gogne (now transferred) directed to frame charges against 9 Accused out of 16 charge sheeted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The court had noted that ED alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav, during his tenure as the Union Minister for Railways, fixed a tender for IRCTC Hotels in Ranchi and Puri in favour of his preferred bidders and unabashedly received the land parcels of the successful bidder through his wife (Rabri Devi) and son (Tejashwi Prasad Yadav). The land parcels were first bought at vastly under valued rates by a company of his associate (former Union Minister P C Gupta) and subsequently the shares of this company were sold at a pittance to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the court noted, the court noted.

The court highlighted that before deciding the issue of charges, "The court must determine whether all checks from the path of power were indeed unhinged by Lalu Prasad Yadav in order to create, use and project as untainted what allegedly was the unearned perk of the path of ease."

" Calibrating the discourse to intellect far less capable than the great bard, the exercise for this court is to find whether a strong suspicion exists that the former Minister of Railways, his family members and other persons/entities indulged in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime. The land at Patna is described as the proceeds of crime by the ED," the court stressed.

Quid Pro Quo Allegations

The court said that the allegations by the ED, spanning the years 2005 to 2014, strongly indicate that under the stewardship of Lalu Prasad Yadav, then Minister of Railways, a tender came to be manipulated by railway officials for award of the contract of Railway hotels at Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotels. As a quid pro quo, the Directors of Sujata Hotels, namely Vinay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, transferred their prime land at Patna to a company named M/s DMCPL which was controlled by P.C.Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta (close associates of Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav) at undervalued rates, the court said.

Sarla Gupta and others subsequently transferred the shares of this company to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav at a pittance. The new entity which controls this virtually freebie land is Lara Projects LLP, the court added.

Court Finds 'Strong Suspicion' of Crime

" There exists a strong suspicion that the abuse of office by Lalu Prasad Yadav created the proceeds of crime in the hands of his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav who continue to enjoy the use of this tainted land at a prized commercial avenue in Patna," the Court said.

The court said that the land at Patna is the proceeds of crime and the charge of money laundering is liable to be framed against M/s. Lara Project L.L.P., Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sarla Gupta, Prem Chand Gupta, M/s Sujata Hotels, Vinay Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar. (ANI)

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