The Hindu reported that the Delhi High Court was scheduled to hear RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav's petition on January 5, 2026, challenging a special court's order framing charges against him in the alleged IRCTC scam case. The article accurately highlighted that Lalu Prasad Yadav, along with his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and eleven others, faced charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The trial court had initially framed these charges on October 13, 2025. Verifying this, real-time information confirms the hearing took place as scheduled. On January 5, 2026, the Delhi High Court, presided over by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking its response to Yadav's plea. However, the court explicitly refused to grant an interim stay on the ongoing trial proceedings at this stage, emphasizing the necessity of reviewing the probe agency's reply before making such a decision. The court observed that Yadav's lawyers "should have come earlier" as the trial court order was passed months prior. The matter has now been listed for further hearing on January 14, 2026, where the court will reconsider the application for a stay after the CBI files its reply. The IRCTC scam case pertains to alleged irregularities in awarding operational contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels to a private firm between 2004 and 2009, during Yadav's tenure as Union Railway Minister.