Fodder scam trial involving Lalu awaits completion in Patna

PATNA: A fodder scam case against Lalu Prasad still awaits completion of trial in a special CBI court in Patna due to non-appearance of the RJD chief as he is lodged in a Ranchi jail. Eight others, including two former MLAs and two IAS officers (retired), are accused in the case.
The case is related to fraudulent withdrawal of at least Rs 45 lakh from Bhagalpur treasury in undivided Bihar.
CBI sources said apart from the lone case in Patna, trial in one more fodder scam case against Lalu and other accused is yet to be completed in Jharkhand.
“Lalu and others were convicted for fraudulent withdrawal of crores of rupees from Deoghar, Chaibasa and Dumka treasuries. There are four fodder scam cases against Lalu and others in Jharkhand and one in Patna,” sources said.
A top CBI officer said Lalu is also an accused in yet another case related to IRCTC tender scam. “CBI had filed chargesheet against Lalu and other accused in the IRCTC case before a Delhi court in April 2018. He is presently on bail in the case,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, another CBI source said trial in Bhagalpur treasury case in special CBI court-III in Patna stopped more than a year back. “Lalu is unable to appear before the court for the trial as he is undergoing sentences in Ranchi,” the source said.
Besides Lalu, former MLAs R K Rana and Jagdish Prasad, IAS officers (all retired now) Beck Julius, Phoolchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad and animal drug supplier Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sunil Kumar Sinha and Sushil Kumar Singh are also accused in fodder scam case pending before special CBI court-III.
“There is another case of disproportionate assets (DA) against Rana and his wife Naina Rana which is also by-product of fodder scam. However this case is also pending for completion of trial before special CBI court-III in Patna,” a source said.
CBI sources said several witnesses are to be examined in the Bhagalpur treasury case, which is pending in Patna, and it will take a lot of time.