CBI court orders personal appearance of Lalu, Mishra today

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Thursday directed RJD president Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra to be present before it on Friday in connection with a case of multi-crore rupee fodder scam. The order for personal appearance of Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and others was passed by CBI judge Devraj Tripathi. The case relates to withdrawal of Rs 46 lakh illegally from treasuries in Bhagalpur and Banka by the Animal Husbandry department between 1994 to 1996.

Besides the two, 29 others are accused in this fodder scam case lodged by CBI on May 15, 1996. The charge-sheet was submitted in the case against 44 in 2003 and the trial is on against 33. Prasad and Mishra are on bail after serving jail term in Ranchi in an another case of the same scam. Lalu had to give up his CM’s post when he was first arrested in 1997 and had handed over the reins to his wife Rabri Devi.

After conviction in a case of fodder scam in Ranchi, Prasad was disqualified from Lok Sabha in accordance with new law and is still debarred from contesting poll.