The Delhi High Court has issued notice on a petition filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav challenging the framing of charges against him in the alleged irregularities and corruption case involving the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited. Lalu Prasad Yadav has approached the High Court by way of a criminal miscellaneous petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, seeking quashing of the charge sheet and the order framing charges in the trial court, on the ground that the allegations against him lack sufficient prima facie evidence and are vitiated by legal infirmities. The petitioner contends that there has been a failure to disclose any overt act directly connecting him with the alleged criminal conduct in the case, and that the charges were framed without any credible material linking him to the commission of the alleged offences. The High Court’s notice marks the beginning of judicial scrutiny into these submissions by directing the respondents—comprising investigative agencies and prosecuting authorities—to file their respective replies to the petition.
The case traces its origins to an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2023, which alleged irregularities in tenders and procurement processes concerning the supply of food and beverages and related services by IRCTC. The FIR purportedly pointed to a larger nexus of individuals and entities allegedly involved in manipulating contractual terms, causing wrongful loss to the exchequer and wrongful gains to private parties. Lalu Prasad Yadav, along with others named in the FIR, had challenged the framing of charges before the trial court. The trial court rejected these objections and proceeded to frame charges against him, leading to his filing of the present petition before the High Court. The petition challenges the framing order on the ground that the investigation has been completed, the charge sheet filed, and charges framed without adherence to legal requirements concerning the sufficiency of evidence at the threshold stage. The legal submissions address the question of whether the materials collected during the investigation establish a prima facie case against the petitioner, and whether the framing of charges ought to be quashed in exercise of inherent powers of the High Court.
In exercising its jurisdiction to entertain the petition, the Delhi High Court will consider whether the trial court, in framing charges, applied the appropriate legal standards and whether there exist substantial grounds to proceed with a full-fledged trial against the petitioner. The High Court’s notice order requires the respondents to respond to the legal contentions raised, after which the matter will be listed for further hearing to determine the maintainability of the petition and the merits of the challenge to the framing of charges. The development underscores the early stages of judicial examination of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s petition and signals that the High Court will delve into detailed legal arguments regarding the case’s procedural and evidentiary aspects before reaching any final conclusions.
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