January 16, 2026 : The Delhi High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to file its response to a petition filed by Rabri Devi, challenging the framing of charges against her in the alleged IRCTC corruption case.
Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma issued notice to the CBI while hearing Rabri Devi’s plea, in which she argued that the trial court framed charges without adequate material linking her to the alleged offences. She contended that the order was based on presumptions and did not establish any direct role on her part.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the allotment of hotel contracts of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation at Ranchi and Puri during the tenure of former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Rabri Devi has maintained that she was neither involved in the decision-making process nor a beneficiary of the transactions in question.
The High Court has tagged her petition with similar pleas filed by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, both of whom have also challenged the legality of the charge-framing order.
The Court is expected to consider submissions from all sides before deciding whether the charges against Rabri Devi merit interference at this stage.
