Giving clean chit to Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said that she was an honest officer and had worked with him for a long time with her in Bihar. Talking to media persons after appearing in fodder scam case RC47A/96 before a Special CBI Court here, Prasad also questioned scaling up security cover for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while his security had been withdrawn.
“Rajbala Verma is an honest officer; I have seen her in Bihar who worked regularly in the field there. I do not think she could be doubted for any kind of wrongdoing,” said Prasad. He, however, expressed his ignorance about the grounds she was being targeted as he had not observed the matter closely.
“I don’t know what is the internal dispute among the officers in Jharkhand, if you inquire about any officers from Bihar and any other place on deputation, there is bound to have something against all of them,” said the RJD chief. As soon as he came out the vehicle, Prasad warned his workers to respect media persons and not to shove them aside.
When asked about Bihar visit of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Prasad calling him a turncoat said that he says something in the night and turns back in the morning just like former Chief Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi does in Bihar.
“Bhagwat has been visiting Bihar in order to communalize the State as there is a BJP Government in the State now,” said the RJD Chief.
Referring to the recent incident of question leak in Bihar, Prasad also targeted the Education Minister Anant Kishor, who has also been holding the post of Chairman of State Education Board.
“He is education minister for the name sake. It was all fixed by a particular district which has brought bad name for Bihar,” said Prasad.
Meanwhile, statement of the then Additional Secretary of Animal Husbandry Department Indubhushan Pathak was recorded in the court of Special CBI Court of Pradeep Kumar in presence of Prasad. Pathak told the Court that the then Member of Parliament Ramsharan Yadav had raised the issue in Lok Sabha, but no action was taken in this regard.
Earlier, the statements recorded by Pathak in fodder scam case RC20A/96 related to Chaibasa Treasury was adopted in RC47A/96 along with the cross examination by the defense witness. Pathak was produced in the court as 464th witness by the CBI.
Prasad was also produced before another Special CBI Court of Shiv Pal Singh in fodder scam case RC38A/96 before through video conferencing.
The RJD chief is presently lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail after a special CBI Court of Shiv Pal Singh on January 6, pronounced 3.5 years’ jail and also slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh for him in fodder scam case RC64A/96, related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89,4417 lakh from Deoghar Treasury with the help of 6 fake allotment letters during 1991 to 1994.