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Lalu Prasad to face verdict in another Bihar fodder scam case today
RJD chief Lalu Prasad arrived in Jharkhand capital Ranchi where a special CBI court will pronounce a verdict on Saturday in a case related to the Bihar fodder scam.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi will deliver its verdict on Saturday in a fodder scam case involving former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra.
The case filed by the CBI relates to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 90 lakh from the Deoghar treasury during 1991-94. Out of the six fodder scam cases registered against Lalu Prasad, this is the second case which would see a verdict.
The fodder scam refers to a series of cases where state funds meant for buying fodder were allegedly siphoned by government officials and politicians in Bihar.
Lalu Prasad, Mishra and other accused arrived in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi on Friday to appear in person before the court.
To meet their party chief, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) workers and supporters from Bihar and Jharkhand made a beeline to the railway guest house where Lalu Prasad is staying.
“My client has arrived in Ranchi to appear before the court on Saturday, the day fixed for the verdict,” said Prasad’s advocate Prabhat Kumar.
Lalu Prasad had suffered a major jolt on September 30, 2013 when the court held him guilty in another fodder scam case. He was give a five-year prison term, disqualified from Parliament and banned from contesting elections. He was given bail by the Supreme Court in December that year.
The case against Lalu Prasad -- which was related to the Deoghar treasury -- was revived after a Supreme Court order on May 8 this year.
The apex court had restored the corruption charges against Lalu Prasad by quashing a 2014 order of the Jharkhand high court, which had dropped sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13 (1)(d) (corruption, abusing his office as public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act from the charges.
Since the trial began in June, Lalu Prasad had to make a personal appearance before the court almost every week in Ranchi. Even on the day when Nitish Kumar broke the alliance with the RJD on July 27, Lalu Prasad had to travel to Ranchi by road to attend court proceedings the next day.
The case, however, witnessed a curious turn in August this year when Lalu Prasad accused judge Shivpal Singh of misbehaving with a defence witness and moved the high court seeking transfer of the case to another court. The high court, however, found no merit in his petition and dismissed it.
