Laloo, 55 others chargesheeted in fodder scam

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav on Monday earned the dubious distinction of being the first serving chief minister in the country to be chargesheeted.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed the 2,000-odd-page historic document against Laloo Yadav and 55 others before the special CBI court in Patna in the Rs 9.5 billion fodder scam. Former chief minister Jagannath Mishra, former Union minister Chandradeo Prasad Verma, Bihar Animal Husbandry Minister Bhola Ram Toofani and Labour and Employment Minister Vidyasagar Nishada are among those who have been chargesheeted. Five senior IAS officers -- K Arumugam, Phoolchand Singh, Beck Julious, Mahesh Prasad (all in custody) and Sajal Chakravarty (currently absconding) -- and three legislators -- R K Rana (Janata Dal), Jagdish Sharma (Congress) and Dhuruv Bhagat (Bharatiya Janata Party) who are in custody -- have also been chargesheeted.

The chargesheets were for case number RC 20 (A)/96, which deals with the conspiracy angle in the fodder scam.

Meanwhile, the CBI court dealing with the case reserved its judgment on Laloo Yadav's anticipatory bail petition.

In another development, Janata Dal MPs owing allegiance to Laloo Yadav accused former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and certain other senior JD leaders of conspiring to ''destabilise the state government''. They plan to meet Prime Minister I K Gujral and seek an inquiry into the CBI's working.

RELATED STORIES: UF ultimatum to Laloo to resign by June 27 Laloo Yadav ignores top UF leader's appeal

UNI