The Supreme Court (SC), in response to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition, directed that the RJD Chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav would be tried for criminal conspiracy in the fodder scam case.

The SC, today overturned the judgment of the Jharkhand High court verdict, opposing the dropping of charges against the RJD Chief. The trial had to be completed within 9 months, added the SC.

The Jharkhand HC had acquitted Yadav in 2014 after conviction in one of the cases. The apex court now has set aside the order and stated that the HC should have been consistent in its findings and should not have given various views for different sets of accused in a case. It also pointed out at the CBI, for delay in filing appeal against the HC order the case. The investigation agency’s director should have looked into this important matter and employed an officer to pursue the case.

Earlier on April 20, the court reserved its judgment in the case and asked all the parties concerned to give their submissions within a week. In addition, the court also heard the plea filed by the RJD supremo, challenging his imprisonment in connection with the mid-1990s fodder scam case. In the apex court, the CBI had filed a petition against the dropping conspiracy charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, by the Jharkhand High Court in one of the fodder scam cases. Then, the CBI filed its latest appeal against the HC order, upholding the agency’s plea to continue proceedings in the trial court against the RJD Chief under two sections, while dropping other charges that a person could not be tried twice for the same offence.

The High Court had ordered that proceedings against Yadav be continued under IPC Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed or giving false information) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment, and in such attempt doing any act towards the commission of the offence). The charges are in connection with a case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 96 lakh during Yadav’s chief ministerial tenure.

The fodder scam relates to fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs 900 crore by the Animal Husbandry department from various districts, when Lalu was the Chief Minister of Bihar, from 1990 to 1997.

SUPRAJA