ED issues fresh summons to Rabri Devi, Tejashwi in Railway tender case

The duo have been asked to appear before ED on October 10 and October 11 respectively

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday issued fresh summons to former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his son Tejashwi Yadav in an ongoing Railway tender case.

The mother-son duo have been asked to appear before ED on October 10 and October 11 respectively.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier on Tuesday summoned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi in regard to the matter.

Both have been summoned to be present before the investigation officers on October 3 and October 4 respectively.

Yadav's lawyer on September 25 sought two-week time from the CBI for former Railways minister to appear before it in connection with the matter.

Earlier on September 22, the CBI had summoned Lalu on September 25 and his son Tejashvi Yadav on September 26.

In July, CBI had registered a case against the then railway minister Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, his son Tejashwi Yadav, Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, Vijay Kochar and Vinay Kochar, both directors of Messer's Sujata Hotel Private Limited, Messer's Delight Marketing Private Limited, P.K. Goel, the then Managing Directors, IRCTC and unknown others under Section 120 B read with Section 420 of IPC and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)d prevention of corruption act 1988 in connection with the case.

The FIR lodged by the CBI against RJD chief stated that there were irregularities in awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri during Lalu Prasad Yadav's term as Railway Minister of India, that is, from 2004 to 2009.

The CBI alleged that the tender process was rigged, manipulated and the conditions were tweaked by the then Railway Minister to help a private hotel company.

The RJD, however, brushed aside the allegation and counter-blamed that the agencies were acting as alliance partners of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).