RJD Chief and former Bihar Chief Minister lalu Prasad Yadav while recording his statement before a Special CBI Court under Section 313 in Ranchi in a fodder scam case RC68A/96 on Tuesday pleaded not guilty and said that he, along with his family, had been framed by the CBI under political vendetta. Yadav while answering a questionnaire prepared by the Court also denied any personal relation with the then Deputy Chairman of 20-Point Programme Dayanand Kashyap.
“If I have not taken any money then how the crime was committed…I have been framed under political vendetta as they could not digest the popularity gained by a person coming from Bihar. They even targeted my wife Rabri Devi, who did not have any case against her, and raided her house in 1998,” said the RJD Chief. This is nothing but a conspiracy to whip us out, he added.
He, however, expressed confidence on the Judiciary and said that the case will not stand in court as he had not taken any from anybody. lalu was grilled for about 50 minutes who appeared to be quite confident while answering the 22 questions asked by the Court of Special CBI Judge Swarn Shankar Prasad.
On the question of the then Animal Husbandry Minister Ramjivan Ram’s recommendation for CBI inquiry on the pointing out irregularities during 1984 to 1987 in the department, Prasad said that the matter was referred to the then Chief Secretary Kamla Prasad seeking his suggestions on the matter through a file, following which the Chief Secretary contacted the CBI over phone which denied to take up any such case.
“After CBI denied taking up the case, I ordered vigilance inquiry in the case on November 13, 1990,” Prasad said.
When asked about Ramjivan Ram’s removal from the ministry after he registered his complaint in this regard, Prasad said that it was his prerogative, Ram was given another ministry.
Denying the allegations of receiving money from the former MP RK Rana during the period 1993 to 1996, Prasad insisted that anybody may be asked in this regard. “This is wrong; no one has seen me taking money…nobody gave my any money,” said Prasad.
When former Bihar Chief Minister was asked about making Dayanand Kashyap Deputy Chairman of 20 point programme and giving him a status of Minister of State, he did not know any such person of that name and had appointed Deendayal Kashyap on the post.
“It might have been done by the CBI and recalled the incident was of year 1995,” Prasad said. He also denied having any talks with Kashyap over phone as Chief Minister never picks up any phone calls; he also denied having about knowledge about Kashyap calling him at that time.
The RJD Chief also denied having any knowledge regarding the CAG report as it was directly referred to the Governor and is forwarded to the PAC for investigations. “The Chief Minister does not have the power either to see it or take action in this regard. Moreover, the CAG never mentioned about fraudulent withdrawal, rather it said that there has been access withdrawal which needed to be regularised,” Prasad said.
Replying to a another question over giving extension to the then Regional Director of Animal Husbandry Department, Shyam Bihari Sinha and Accounts Officer RK Das, Prasad said that everything was done on the recommendations of former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, who was leader of Opposition at that time after following the due procedure required for it.
Other accused persons who recorded their statements in the case on Tuesday include RK Rana, Jagdish Sharma, Dhruv Bhagat, Vidyasagar Nishad and supplier Ravindra Kumar Rai.
The case RC68/96 relates to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.61 crore from Chaibasa Treasury.