New Delhi, Oct. 14 -- A Delhi court has framed charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act pertaining to criminal conspiracy and cheating against former Railways minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad in connection with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotel corruption case. The charges, which come less than a month before the assembly elections in Bihar, were also framed against Lalu's wife and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and their son and leader of opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav. Special judge Vishal Gogne said there was a "prima facie" case against the accused and "grave suspicion" regarding the land transfers. While reading out the operative part from the order, the judge said that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as railway minister between 2004 and 2009, influenced the tender process of two IRCTC-owned hotels by awarding the same to Sujata Hotels, a private entity. He also noted that the leader ensured that co-accused, Vijay and Vinay Kochar, gave undervalued land parcels to his wife and son in the process. Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav pleaded "not guilty". The two-phase polls in Bihar will be held on November 6 and 11, with Tejashwi likely to be the CM face of the RJD-led Opposition bloc. The special judge framed common charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating against Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav in the case, which stems from alleged irregularities in the grant of operational contracts of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels to a private firm. The court also framed charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Lalu Prasad. A detailed order in the case is awaited. The leaders will challenge the order before the high court. According to the CBI charge sheet, a conspiracy was allegedly hatched between 2004 and 2014 in pursuance of which BNR hotels of the Indian Railways were first transferred to IRCTC and later given on lease to Sujata Hotels Private Ltd, which is based in Patna. The tender process, CBI alleged, was rigged and manipulated and the conditions were tweaked to help Sujata Hotels. The charge sheet also names group general managers of IRCTC VK Asthana and RK Goyal, and Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel....