Tejashwi Yadav's statements an "open threat" to investigators and their families: CBI to court

By Sushil Batra
New Delhi [India], September 17 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday moved a Special Court of Delhi seeking bail cancellation of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC scam case and claimed that the conduct of the RJD leader is in violation of a key bail condition.
The statements made the accused him are an "open threat" to the CBI, the officers and their families, the probe agency said. The accused has openly warned the CBI officers against carrying out the investigations, also resorting to innuendoes and threats in the process, the probe agency claimed.
The plea stated that the accused (Tejashwi Yadav) is highly influential and powerful. He is the son of a former Union Cabinet Minister as well as former Chief Minister of Bihar. He himself has been and is again the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.
The plea stated that Tejashwi Yadav, in a recent public gathering and press conference(s), attempted to subvert the process of law and thwart the entire investigation as well as the consequent trial, blatantly abusing the liberty granted to him.
CBI said Tejashwi in his statement had said, "Kya CBI waalon ke maa bete nahi hain, unke pariwaar nahi hain? Kya wo hamesha CBI officer rahenge? Kya wo retired nahi honge? Kya satta mein hamesha ek hi ki sarkaar rahegi?"
It stated that such scandalous statements by the accused demonstrate his attempt to wield undue influence and power to prevent the case from reaching its logical conclusion, the CBI alleged. The accused is no common man and exercises control and influence over a large number of people, all of whom are directly and indirectly affected and impacted by the implications of such scandalous statements, CBI stated.
CBI stated that the tone and tenor of the statements are in fact contrary and demeaning to the oath administered to him under Article 164(3) r/w Schedule III of the Constitution of India as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar wherein he swore to 'bear faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, 'faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as a Minister' and 'do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."
The plea stated that it is a settled position in law that the deviation of any of the conditions laid down by the Court while granting bail will entail cancellation of bail.
Having regard to the conduct of the accused and the violation of the condition(s) of bail that resulted thereof as mentioned above, it is a fit case of the grant of bail to the Accused, in a commission of a grave economic offence, being cancelled, plea stated.
Special Judge Geetanjali Goel on Saturday after hearing the submissions of CBI, issued notice to Tejashwi Yadav and sought his response of him and listed the matter for September 28, 2022.
Advocate DP Singh and Advocate Manu Mishra appeared for CBI in the matter.
Special judge Geetanjali Goel has issued notice to the Deputy CM of Bihar for September 28. The court had granted Tejashwi bail on October 6, 2018, in the case
CBI had registered a criminal case against then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and others in 2017.
Earlier, the court had granted Tejashwi Yadav and others bail after taking cognizance of the charge sheet filed by CBI in the IRCTC scam case. The court noted that the case pertains to alleged irregularities in granting the operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm.
Former Union Railway Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi are also accused in the case. Lalu Prasad also served as Union Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.
Besides Lalu Prasad and his family members, former Union Minister Prem Chand Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, Agarwal, then managing director of IRCTC P K Goyal and then IRCTC director Rakesh Saxena were also named in the charge sheet.
According to the charge sheet, between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in pursuance of which BNR hotels of the Indian Railways, located at Puri and Ranchi, were first transferred to the IRCTC and later, for its operations, maintenance and upkeep, it was given on lease to Sujata Hotel Private Limited, which is based in Patna.
It is alleged that the tender process was rigged and manipulated and the conditions were tweaked to help the private party (Sujata Hotels).
It also claimed that Vinay Kochhar on February 25, 2005, sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing, in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Lalu Prasad.