Former Bihar Chief Minister lalu Prasad, along with the other politicians and bureaucrats accused in fodder scam case RC68A/9, presently lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail serving sentence in another AHD case RC20A/96, was produced before a designated CBI court in Ranchi through video-conferencing on Tuesday.
“Seven persons, including lalu as well as Mahesh Prasad, Jagdish Sharma and RK Rana along with the others accused in the case were produced through video conferencing while others were physically produced in the court of SR Prasad,” said advocate of Mahesh Prasad, Sanjay Kumar.
The case relates to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.62 crore from Chaibasa Treasury during 1992-93 in which there were a total of 75 accused persons of which 7 died while three turned into CBI witnesses, said Kumar. Presently, 63 persons are under trial of which there are six politicians, three bureaucrats, nine animal husbandry officials, one treasury officer and 44 suppliers, he added.
Statement of one of the defense witness Jairam Prasad Verma was also recorded on Tuesday in the court who was later produced in the e-court before accused persons on the other side in jail. Verma was working with Indian Airlines during the time of scam.
lalu has been issued production warrant in four cases after he was sentenced for five years by the CBI court on Thursday last. The list includes fodder scam cases -- RC 47A/96, RC 38A/96, RC, RC64 A/96 as well as RC68A/96.