New Delhi, Jan 16 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court has on Friday issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding a petition by former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi. She is contesting a trial court's directive that led to the framing of criminal charges against her and her family in the IRCTC hotel scam case. After a brief hearing, a single-judge Bench led by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma called for the CBI's response and scheduled the next hearing for January 19.

In her application, Rabri Devi, spouse of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, argued that the trial court had incorrectly framed charges based solely on assumptions, failing to adequately consider the evidence presented.

This development follows a similar plea from her son, Tejashwi Yadav, an RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, who is also challenging the trial court's order against his family concerning the same scandal.

In a previous ruling on October 13, 2025, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts authorized the trial of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, and others under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with provisions from the Prevention of Corruption Act, after they denied the charges.

The special court had reserved its order on May 29 following exhaustive arguments regarding the framing of charges against Lalu Prasad and his family, as well as others involved in the case.

This alleged scam reportedly occurred between 2004 and 2009, during Lalu Prasad's tenure as Railway Minister. It is claimed that two IRCTC hotels were leased out without adhering to necessary guidelines. One such hotel was allocated to Sarla Gupta, the wife of Prem Gupta, a close associate of Lalu Prasad and a former Rajya Sabha MP. According to the prosecution, the RJD leader acquired three acres of premium land through a proxy company.