Setback for Lalu in fodder scam case, verdict set for July 15

The petitions of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to transfer one of his fodder scam cases to another special Central Bureau of Investigation court from the present court of Pravas Kumar Singh and examining one more witness were dismissed by the Jharkhand high court on Monday.

The court of R R Prasad, who had on June 28 reserved the order on the pleas after Ram Jethmalani argued for Yadav, dismissed the petitions.

Prasad, who faces a judgment in a fodder scam case on July 15, filed the petition requesting transfer of RC20A case to another special CBI court, as he did not "expect justice" from the present special CBI judge Pravas Kumar Singh following his alleged relationship with two Bihar-based Janata Dal United leaders, who are political opponents.

Appearing for Lalu Prasad, Jethmalani had argued before the court that the animal husbandry case be transferred from the court of Pravas Kumar Singh on that ground. He also argued that that there were about 76 witnesses in the animal husbandry scam but only 17 witnesses had been examined in the case and sought to examine one more witness in the case.

On June 24, the Supreme Court advocate Surendra Kumar Singh had informed the special court of Pravas Kumar Singh that arguments on behalf of his client be stopped till an order by the high court.

The CBI court has been hearing arguments for the last one month and had on June 20 directed 45 fodder scam accused, including Prasad, to complete arguments by July 1. He has fixed July 15 to deliver the verdict on the RC 20A-96 case pertaining to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the 1990s. There are 45 accused out of 56 in the RCA/96. The rest have since either turned approver or died.