Delhi Court Seeks CBI Response in Rabri Devi Case Transfer Plea
A Delhi court has taken significant action in the ongoing legal battle involving former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi. On Wednesday, the court issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding her plea seeking transfer of four cases linked to the alleged IRCTC scam to a different judge.
Court Proceedings and Judicial Response
Principal and Sessions Judge Dinesh Bhatt presided over the hearing involving the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader. While considering Rabri Devi's application, the court formally sought a response from the investigating agency. However, in a crucial decision, the judge declined to put a stay on the ongoing trial proceedings, allowing them to continue while the transfer plea is being examined.
The legal move came just two days after Rabri Devi filed the transfer petition on Monday. In her application, the former chief minister expressed serious concerns about receiving fair treatment, stating she had "reasonable apprehension that fair and impartial justice would not be rendered" by the current presiding judge.
Details of the Cases and Allegations
Rabri Devi faces accusations in four separate cases that are currently being heard by Special Judge Vishal Gogne. These cases include the high-profile land-for-jobs scam and IRCTC scam cases that have drawn significant public and media attention.
In her formal plea submitted to the court, Rabri Devi articulated her concerns clearly: "The applicant is having a bonafide and reasonable apprehension that fair and impartial justice will not be rendered by the special judge and that the conduct of the special judge during the proceedings in all cases appears to be unduly inclined towards the prosecution and bias which can be seen from number of instances of the case proceedings/order."
The petition further emphasized that "there was a reasonable apprehension of bias" and argued that in the interest of justice, the cases should be transferred to another court of competent jurisdiction.
Background of the IRCTC Scam Case
The alleged IRCTC hotel scam represents one of the most significant corruption cases in recent Indian political history. The case involves multiple members of the Yadav family, including former railway minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
At the heart of the controversy are allegations that during Lalu Prasad's tenure as railway minister between 2004 and 2009, contracts for valuable railway hotels were awarded to a private company. The prosecution claims that in return for these contracts, the private firm transferred prime land in Patna to the Yadav family at rates substantially below market value.
The case has now entered the trial phase, with the next hearing scheduled for December 6, when the court will continue further proceedings on both the main case and the transfer petition.
