ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

SC throws out Laloo's plea in fodder case

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed petitions filed by former Bihar chief ministers Laloo Prasad Yadav and Dr Jagannath Mishra and seven others, challenging the non-bailable warrants issued against them by a Patna special court in the multi-million-rupee fodder scandal.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices K Mukherjee, S P Kurdukar, and K T Thomas, however, extended the stay on their arrests till October 28 in view of the Puja holidays for courts.

The judges directed the accused to surrender before the special court on October 28 in compliance with the warrants. The accused have undertaken to do so.

Meanwhile, the Patna court monitoring the fodder case has expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the enforcement department.

Justices S N Jha and S J Mukhopadhyay observed that the enforcement department hardly took any action on the reports sent by the income tax department.

Monitoring the Central Bureau of Investigation's progress, the court expressed satisfaction over its promise that the probe would be completed by November 1998, except for the cases of disproportionate assets.

Appreciating the income tax department's efforts, the judges impressed upon it that it should compile the case with care for details.

Lawyer for the enforcement department Ajay Kumar Tripathy said he would get in touch with higher authorities, including the Enforcement Directorate, and impress upon them the need for finishing the job within a deadline.

The court has fixed November 6 for further directions and order.

CBI Joint Director U N Biswas was present at the hearing.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report