Fodder scam: Lalu Prasad Yadav's recent court appearances marked by banter and hostility in equal measure

After the Supreme Court order directing that the trials of the fodder scam cases should be completed within nine months in May this year, the special CBI court in Ranchi started hearing the matter on a daily basis. On various occasions, accused Lalu Prasad Yadav’s interaction with judge Shivpal Singh resulted in laughter on one hand and allegations on the other.

The speedy nature of the trial made Lalu Yadav a frequent visitor from Patna to Ranchi and his body language sometimes compelled the judge to ask informal questions related to his health and well-being. On 14 June, Shivpal Singh asked Lalu in Hindi, “Aap kaise hain?” (How are you?) to which the RJD leader replied, “Hum theek hain. Aap bulaye aur hum chale aaye.” (Sir, I am fine. You remembered me and I turned up).

After that, Lalu’s counsel Prabhat Kumar sought exemption for his client from personal appearance. However, the judge declined to grant any exemption. This compelled Lalu Yadav to personally plead with folded hands with the judge on 30 June. He said, “Sir, I am not pressing but requesting you. Please exempt me from personal appearance. I am a political person and the presidential election is also approaching fast. I have called a rally also.”

In his reply Shivpal Singh said, " This is the age of the Internet. What are going to do? Your party workers have to do everything. I am not summoning you deliberately. Cases need to be completed within nine months. So, you will have to be here."

On the next appearance, the judge did not allow an attendant to accompany Lalu and removed him from the court. Irked by this move, Lalu Yadav on 4 August told reporters that he would move the Jharkhand High Court seeking the transfer of two fodder scam cases from the court of Shivpal Singh.

“I don’t feel I will get justice from this court. Through my lawyer today, I filed a petition before the CBI court seeking to defer examination of my witnesses, since I will move a petition before the high court for transfer of two cases,” Lalu had said before leaving the court premises

His lawyer Prabhat Kumar accused the judge of hearing the case with prejudice. On this very day, senior IPS office Sunil Kumar appeared as a witness for Lalu, but Shivpal Singh pulled him up as he occupied the witness box without taking permission.

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