Fodder scam: Lalu Yadav appears before Ranchi CBI court, faces charges of fraud amounting to Rs 139 crore

Ranchi: Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav appeared in a special CBI court of Ranchi in connection with another fodder scam case over fraudulent withdrawal from a treasury in Ranchi. [caption id=“attachment_4295943” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. PTI[/caption] Besides Lalu Yadav, other accused in the case also appeared in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court. The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda treasury of Ranchi. On Saturday, the court recorded statements of the CBI witnesses. The court has instructed the accused to be present in the court again on January 23. Jailed Lalu Yadav’s trial is going on a day-to-day basis in two cases of the fodder scam in the CBI courts of Ranchi. The Supreme Court in May last year had directed completion of the trial in nine months. Lalu Yadav was convicted on 23 December last year in a fodder scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal from Deoghar treasury and he was awarded three-and-half years’ imprisonment on 6 January. In the first fodder scam case, he was convicted in 2013 and awarded five years’ imprisonment. While the RJD chief stands convicted in two cases, the judgement in the remaining three is likely to be delivered soon.