NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav on Thursday appeared in a designated Central Bureau of Investigation court during deposition by a witness in a disproportionate assets case, an offshoot of the multimillion fodder scam.
Another former chief minister of Bihar, Jagannath Mishra, on Thursday appealed to Governor V C Pande not to grant permission to the CBI to prosecute him in two fresh cases of the fodder scam.
Laloo, who has 'Z' Plus security, was driven to the court of Judge S K Mishra in a bulletproof car from the Beur Jail.
The RJD leader is accused of having accumulated illegally Rs 4.7 million when he was the chief minister between 1990 and 1997.
Both Laloo Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi are accused in the case and are on bail.
Rabri Devi, who is presently the chief minister of Bihar, has been granted exemption from personal appearance.
The witness, former superintendent of police (Patna) V S K Kaumadi, in the course of examination by Laloo Yadav's lawyers, stated that the FIR was registered on the directive of the Patna high court monitoring the progress of the investigation into the fodder scam case.
Kaumadi, in his deposition, said Rabri Devi was not an accused in the case when he was the SP.
Kaumudi, presently posted as Joint Commissioner, Security, Hyderabad, concentrated on the mode of registration of the FIR and the authority who had ordered the institution of the case and the existence of a dairy farm at the official residence of the chief minister.
At the conclusion of the day's proceedings, the judge directed that Laloo Yadav be produced in the court on Friday.
Meanwhile, Mishra on Thursday appealed Governor V C Pande not to grant permission to the CBI to prosecute him in two fresh cases of the fodder scam.
In a memorandum to the governor, Mishra said the CBI's prayer seeking sanction to prosecute him in two new cases of the fraud on the basis of the same set of evidences, which were brought forth for prosecuting him in four other cases, encroached upon the fundamental rights of a citizen enshrined in the Constitution.
The memorandum referred to Article 20 of the Constitution, which said no person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once.
PTI
Tell us what you think of this report
Call India
