Lalu Prasad Yadav's bail in fodder scam cases challenged by CBI in Supreme Court

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved Supreme Court on Friday, August 18, challenging Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's bail in the alleged fodder scam cases. The apex court has agreed to hear the plea on August 25 as the probe agency sought an early hearing into the matter. According to reports, Lalu Prasad's bail has been challenged in Dumka, Doranga, Chaibasa, and Deoghar cases, related to the alleged fodder scam. The Jharkhand High Court on April 22 granted bail to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in the Doranda treasury case in which a CBI special court had sentenced him to five years in prison.

The 75-year-old RJD leader was earlier sentenced to 14 years in jail in three other cases related to Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries in Jharkhand. However, he was out on bail in those cases. 

The probe agency stated that the fodder scam underlines illegal withdrawals worth Rs 950 crore from various government treasuries for fabricated expenditure on fodder and other requirements for cattle during Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as Bihar chief minister. The CBI registered the first FIR in the Chaibasa treasury case, related to the fodder scam, on March 27, 1996. 

In the same year, the CBI sought Bihar Governor's permission to prosecute Lalu Prasad, who was then serving as the state's chief minister. The probe agency then filed a chargesheet against the RJD supremo and 55 others in June 1997, under Sections 420 (forgery) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13 (b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Jharkhand was created in 2001, and cases were transferred to the state.