Special CBI court in Ranchi asks Lalu to expedite proceedings in fodder scam case 

The court asked for completion of the process of recording statements and the examination of the defence witnesses. Both the sides have now agreed that this should be concluded by September 16, the date given by the court, said CBI counsel BMP Singh.

Earlier, Lalu had approached Jharkhand High Court with a petition to get the judge changed in another fodder scam case pertaining to alleged fraudulent withdrawal from Deoghar treasury. However, the court refused to grant him relief and the matter continues to be heard before the court of Shivpal Singh. In that case, the trial is at the stage of recording of statements of defence witnesses.

Lalu, who has been shuttling between Ranchi and Patna due to the fodder scam cases, rushed back to Patna after court appearance. In the morning, the CBI issued summons to him and his son, Tejashwi Yadav, in connection with the FIR registered in July pertaining to alleged pecuniary benefits made by the accused in awarding contracts to private parties for re-development of hotels owned by the Railway. One of them was in Ranchi and the other was in Puri (Odisha).

Reacting to the summons, RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav said: We are replying to the summons as per legal procedures. But there is a serious question as to why CBI is showing urgency only in the case of non-BJP leaders. Why is it not doing anything in the Srijan scam (of Bihar)? It is our allegation that the CBI is not working in a non-partisan manner.

Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, who had on Wednesday accused Lalu of having four more plots worth crores written in the name of his wife, Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi, on Thursday attacked the RJD leader and his family again. In a press communication issued on Thursday, Modi said: What answer will Tejashwi give to the CBI? Had he known the answers he wouldn’t have lost his chair. After all, Nitish Kumar had only asked for a clarification.

Modi asked whether Tejashwi would be able to explain how he became the owner of three acres land on which the biggest mall in Bihar was coming up. It is the same land, which was allegedly given by Kochhar brothers to Lalu for getting contracts to re-develop the hotels in Ranchi. It took 12 years for Lalu to be convicted in the fodder scam case. It wouldn’t take more than 12 months in these cases. And, with the kind of benami properties he has amassed, he would have to answer to summons from not only CBI, but also the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax and the courts, said Modi.