SC to hear CBI's plea against HC order of granting bail to Lalu Yadav in fodder scam case

The Supreme Court is all set to hear the CBI's plea against the Jharkhand High Court's order granting bail to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam cases. The Jharkhand High Court in July last year granted bail to the RJD boss in connection with the fodder scam case relating to Deoghar treasury. The bail was granted to RJD leader after he deposited two bail bonds of ₹50,000 each. He was also directed to deposit his Passport.                            

Bail plea rejected by SC

In April 2019, the Supreme Court had dismissed his bail plea. A bench presided over by the then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said: "We do not think we will release you on bail." The CBI had vehemently opposed the bail plea of Lalu calling him a "kingpin", adding that he abused his position as Bihar CM and masterminded a massive Rs  950 crore scam. 

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The investigating agency alleged that Yadav has already been indulging in political activities for over eight months when he was admitted to a hospital citing health issues. “During the period in which the petitioner (Lalu Yadav) remained in hospital, he is not only granted a special paying ward with all facilities but he is virtually conducting his political activities from there which would be clear form the list of visitors,” the CBI said.

The RJD chief, lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, had challenged the January 10 verdict of the Jharkhand High Court dismissing his bail plea. The three cases in which Lalu has been convicted are related to the over-Rs 900-crore fodder scam, which pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of money from the treasuries in the Animal Husbandry department in the early 1990s when Jharkhand was part of Bihar.

(with PTI, ANI inputs)

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