In a major setback to former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Supreme Court has cleared decks for the announcement of order in a fodder scam case in which he is an accused. Yadav had pleaded for change of the trial court judge hearing case. The apex court said that Prasad should have raised his apprehension at the earliest point of time and not on the eve of judgment.
The trial court judge, P K Singh, was to pronounce its verdict on 15 July in the case, but it was stayed by the apex court after Lalu Prasad approached the apex court challenging the Jharkhand high court order and questioned the impartiality of trial court judge.
A bench comprising of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Ranjan Gogoi highlighted that the prosecution was initiated in 1997 and after prolonged trial, the matter has reached the final stage. ‘In our view, in a matter of this nature, it is not at all desirable to shift the case to some other court at the last hour’, said the court.
The court asked the Special Judge to pronounce the decision as early as possible, uninfluenced by any of the observations made by the high court and the apex court. The court also granted a further time of five days for the prosecution and 15 days for all the accused.
The trial court judge, P K Singh, was to pronounce its verdict on 15 July in the case, but it was stayed by the apex court after Lalu Prasad approached the apex court challenging the Jharkhand high court order and questioned the impartiality of trial court judge.
A bench comprising of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Ranjan Gogoi highlighted that the prosecution was initiated in 1997 and after prolonged trial, the matter has reached the final stage. ‘In our view, in a matter of this nature, it is not at all desirable to shift the case to some other court at the last hour’, said the court.
The court asked the Special Judge to pronounce the decision as early as possible, uninfluenced by any of the observations made by the high court and the apex court. The court also granted a further time of five days for the prosecution and 15 days for all the accused.