New Delhi, Dec 23 (IANS) A public suit was filed in the Delhi High Court Wednesday alleging that former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was involved in a cash surplus and catering scam.

Dharamvir Khola, a social worker, filed the petition through counsel Nawal Kishore Jha and cited the White Paper tabled in parliament by Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee last week. 'Lalu Yadav has misled the public at large and a huge amount has been siphoned off during his regime. The White Paper also hints at a catering scam,' the petition says.

'Excessive money was charged for schemes such as 'tatkal', putting common people to hardship even as punctuality took a beating during his period,' the petition contends.

Demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Lalu Yadav, the petition states: 'Yadav was resorting to white lies in the context of the railway's profit. Let there be an inquiry about the misappropriation of a large scale of public money during the period of Yadav as also stated in the White Paper in the interests of justice.'

The petition also demanded that the railway ministry constitute a committee of senior officials and enquire into all the transactions during Lalu Yadav's tenure so that the truth may come out.

The court will hear the case on January 13, 2010.

The White Paper states that changes were made in the accounting procedures during Lalu Yadav's tenure to show some questionable cash surpluses.