Former Bihar Chief Ministers lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra appeared before CBI courts in cases related to the fodder scam where money was withdrawn illegally from Deoghar, Dumka and Doranda (Ranchi) treasuries in Jharkhand.
It was their third appearance in Ranchi courts within a month, after the Supreme Court rejected Prasad’s plea that he could not be prosecuted twice for the same offence, and revived criminal conspiracy charges against him.
“My client appeared before the Special CBI Court of Shivpal Singh in RC64A/96 related to Deoghar treasury where we produced a list of 36 defense witnesses which was accepted by it and allowed to examination of 5 witnesses on each date by the prosecution,” said Prasad’s advocate Prabhat Kumar. Next date has been fixed for June 29 and 30 in this case during which the first lot of five witnesses will be examined, he added.
“Statements of Jagannath Mishra were recorded in the court in this case under Section 313,” said Kumar. Prasad has already recorded his statement in the court, he added.
Kumar said that both Prasad and Mishra were issued summons from the CBI court after the Supreme Court set aside a Jharkhand High Court ruling and said that the accused in different cases of the fodder scam would have to face cases separately.
Meanwhile, Prasad also appeared before the same court in another case RC38A/96 related to illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka Treasury where hearing could not be done as none of the witnesses from the prosecution were present in the court, Kumar said.
“June 30 and July 1 have been fixed as next date in this case,” said the advocate.
“later, lalu Ji and Mishra also appeared before CBI court of Pradip Kumar to register their attendances in another fodder scam case 47A/96 related to withdrawal of Rs 139 crore from Doranda treasury where day to day hearing is going on,” said Kumar.
Remarkably, Jharkhand High Court had quashed the charge sheet filed against Prasad in this RC64A/96 where 250 vouchers and 17 fake allotment letters were prepared during the period 1991 to 1994 for withdrawing the said amount illegally.
There are 38 accused persons, including Prasad. CBI had filed an appeal petition in Supreme Court against the HC judgment which was allowed by it paving way for his trial in other cases.
The three sections were dropped by the Jharkhand High Court in 2014 but the SC quashed that order in response to a CBI appeal on May 8 last.