Yadavs Plead for Weekly Hearings in High Profile IRCTC Case

Updated on Oct - 28 - 2025, 11:03 AM

Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi have moved the Delhi court seeking a major shift in how their trial will be conducted. The pair, along with their son Tejashwi Yadav and other accused, are facing serious corruption charges tied to the alleged manipulation of contracts for two hotels run by IRCTC during Lalu’s tenure.

The crux of their plea: the court had earlier ordered the trial to proceed on a day-to-day basis starting from October 27. Their lawyers now request that instead of daily hearings, the matter be listed only once a week. They argue that the voluminous evidence including an 18,000-page chargesheet and a 250-page charge-framing order makes daily hearings impractical and prejudicial.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the duo, told the court that multiple criminal cases are stacked against them, but one legal team is handling all. With the campaign season for the Bihar elections ongoing, the defense says they need more time to prepare adequate cross-examination.

The prosecution, represented by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), opposed the adjournment, citing Supreme Court directives for speedy trials of cases involving elected public representatives. Without deciding yet, the judge has asked the CBI to respond to the application and ordered that some witnesses present from outside Delhi be examined in chief.

This development adds another twist to a case already fraught with political and legal implications. The initial framing of charges declared Lalu as a key conspirator, accused of manipulating tender eligibility, awarding contracts favouring a private firm and receiving prime land in return. As the trial looms, both legal strategy and election timing will play a big role.