New Delhi: RJD chief and former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav today did not appear before CBI for questioning in the IRCTC hotel scam, the second time in a month, and instead, asked the national investigating agency to grant him two more weeks to appear before it. His lawyer told CBI that Mr Yadav would not be able to join the investigation in response to the summons issued on September 22, seeking his presence at the CBI headquarters here. The advocate refused to comment on Tejasvi Yadav, son of the RJD chief and Bihar’s Leader of Opposition. who has to appear before CBI tomorrow, in connection with the same case. The national investigating agency had earlier summoned the father-son duo on September 7, to appear before it for questioning on September 11 and 12. Mr Yadav had then said that since he has to appear before a Ranchi court in connection with the Fodder Scam, he is not able to comply with the CBI orders, while Mr Tejashwi had said that he has to finish some party-related work. On September 22, CBI issued fresh summons to the RJD chief and his son to appear before the agency on September 25 and 26. According to the FIR filed by CBI on July 5, Mr Yadav had allegedly granted illegal favours to one Sujata Hotel through an IRCTC contract, leading to manipulation of the tender process for the development, maintenance and operation of two hotels at Ranchi and Puri, in exchange for a three-acre plot in Patna. The case was filed against Mr Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and Tejashwi, former deputy chief minister of Bihar, for alleged irregularities, when Mr Yadav was the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. CBI had also named RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta in the FIR, alleging that the kickbacks were paid through a ‘benami’ company owned by Sarla Gupta, wife of Mr Gupta.
