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Special court orders Laloo, Rabri's trial

Our Correspondent in Patna

The CBI special court of Judge S K Lal today ordered that Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her husband and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav be tried in the case relating to amassment of wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The trial proceedings have begun and July 4 has been fixed as the next date for hearing. The court dismissed the petition filed by both the accused for rejection of the charges made by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Yadav has been charged with amassing property worth over Rs 4.6 million disproportionate to his known sources of income between 1991 and 1996. Rabri Devi was charged with abetting her husband in the crime. The court rejected the plea that their property had been over-valued.

Yadav refused to talk to the press. His lawyer P N Pandey said nothing could be said just now as the case is in the preliminary stage. According to other legal experts, however, the duo can be sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison if the charges are proved.

The Patna high court, while granting provisional bail to Yadav, had said that the trial should be completed within six months of the framing of charges. Accordingly, the trial should be over by December 9.

But this may not be possible as Judge Lal has been transferred and his replacement, P R Das, will assume charge next week. He will take some time to familiarise himself with the case.

It is still not clear whether Yadav will move the high court against the special court's order. He is likely to leave for New Delhi to meet President K R Narayanan on Friday afternoon. RJD national spokesman Shivanand Tiwary left for the capital in the morning and Ranjan Yadav is camping in Delhi.

EARLIER REPORT:
Chargesheet filed against Laloo, Rabri in hidden assets case

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