Court summons to Lalu Prasad, Rabri, Tejashwi in IRCTC case
New Delhi, July 30 : A city court on Monday issued summons to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others in connection with the 2006 IRCTC hotels maintenance contract case.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the allotment of contracts of two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006 to a private firm involving a bribe in the form of a three-acre commercial plot at a prime location in Patna district.
After taking cognisance of the charge sheet, Special Judge Arvind Kumar asked them to appear in court on August 31.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April filed the charge sheet in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels maintenance contract case against 12 people and two companies.
Among those named in the chargesheet were Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, former Managing Director of IRCTC P.K. Goel, Sujata Hotels directors Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, Sarala Gupta -- wife of Prem Chand Gupta, RJD MP.
The CBI charge sheet also named Additional Member of the Railway Board B.K. Agarwal, who was then Group General Manager (GGM) of the IRCTC.
The central probe agency also named former GGM of IRCTC V.K. Asthana, R.K. Gogia -- then GGM (company secretary) of IRCTC, Ramesh Saxena -- then IRCTC Director, and Sujata Hotels Pvt Ltd.
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
