A Delhi court on Wednesday postponed its decision on framing of charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, and others in connection with the alleged IRCTC scam, setting the next hearing for August 5.

The court had reserved its order on May 29 after hearing arguments on whether charges should be framed for alleged irregularities in awarding operational contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels.

The CBI has accused the Yadavs of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and corruption, offenses that carry a maximum sentence of seven years. However, through their counsel, the trio denied all allegations and argued that the agency lacked sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial. Lalu Prasad, who served as railway minister during the UPA-I regime, also questioned the validity of the prosecution sanctions obtained by the CBI.

During earlier hearings, the CBI contended there was ample material to prosecute the accused.

The case stems from alleged manipulations in the tender process between 2004 and 2014, when two BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri—originally under Indian Railways—were transferred to IRCTC and subsequently leased to Patna-based Sujata Hotels Pvt Ltd. The CBI claims that the tender conditions were altered to favour the firm.

The charge sheet also names former IRCTC officials V K Asthana and R K Goyal, as well as Sujata Hotels directors Vijay and Vinay Kochhar, who also own Chanakya Hotel. Corporate entities Sujata Hotels and Delight Marketing Company (now Lara Projects) have also been listed as accused.