New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad to face a separate trial in a fodder scam related case. The move is a political setback for Bihar government as Prasad led RJD is an alliance partner.
Prasad will face charges including criminal conspiracy and fraud in the fresh trial. The apex court bench comprising justices Amitava Roy and P.C. Ghose also directed the state to conclude trial within 9 months.
The apex court set aside a ruling of the Jharkhand high court that dropped certain charges on the grounds that a person once convicted or acquitted cannot to be tried for the same offence again.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had appealed against the high court ruling. The major political setback for the RJD chief is also a cause of embarrassment for the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government which is in alliance with RJD as a partner. The two parties had joined hands against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly elections of 2015 and the alliance had won 178 seats in the 243 member assembly.
“The alliance is between Janata Dal (United) and RJD, there is no reason for embarrassment. Nitish Kumar is running a clean and transparent government which is working for the benefit of people. There is no charge of corruption against the state government,” said K.C. Tyagi, senior leader of JD(U).
In October 2013, Prasad was convicted by a special CBI court in Ranchi and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in one of the cases arising out of the fodder scam, as a consequence of which he was disqualified from contesting any election for 11 years. He moved the Jharkhand high court challenging the verdict of the CBI court.
The charges are in connection with the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs96 lakh during Prasad’s chief ministerial tenure. “BJP welcomes the order of the Supreme Court and this order reinforces public faith in ensuring that unscrupulous politicians do not go scot-free. Lalu Prasad will now have to face the full consequences of his illegal actions very soon,” said G.V.L. Narsimha Rao, spokesperson of BJP.
The fodder scam relates to fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs1,000 crore by the animal husbandry department from various districts during Prasad’s tenure as Bihar chief minister from 1990 to 1997.
Apart from Prasad, former chief minister Jagannath Mishra and a former senior bureaucrat Sajal Chakraborty will also face trial again.
There are three cases where the same charges have been made out against Prasad and others in relation to alleged illegal withdrawal from the government treasury of Bihar including the Dumka and Deoghar treasury.
“It is a judicial process and it is not a new case, it is an old case. The constitution of our country gives people the right to approach a larger bench if they are not satisfied with court proceedings. This is not a new case,” said Congress’ senior spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad.
Congress party, also a part of ruling alliance in Bihar, is treading carefully on the issue. According to a senior Congress leader, the party feels that even though Monday’s development is a ‘personal blow’ to Yadav, it may not impact the incumbent alliance as the former Bihar chief minister is not an elected representative and is barred from contesting polls.
RJD could not be immediately reached for a response.