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Fodder scam: Lalu pleads not guilty, calls it political conspiracy by Sanjay Ojha


Former chief minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday claimed that all the allegations leveled against him in the Rs 900-crore fodder scam were biased and the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) had acted against him under political pressure to ruin his career. 

Lalu was replying to questions of special CBI judge PK Singh in the fodder scam case (RC 20/96) related to fraudulent withdrawal of more than Rs 37 crore from Chaibasa treasury of West Singhbhum district.

The CBI has lodged 53 cases in the Rs 900-crore fodder scam and Lalu is an accused in five cases including the one in which he appeared on Tuesday.

"It is a conspiracy of the CBI, under political pressure, to ruin my career. The CBI has intentionally dropped names of important witnesses including some government officers to mislead the court," said Lalu while deposing in the jam packed court room on the premises of the district civil court. 

Responding to the charge that he had accepted over Rs 11 crore from different people through his close associates including the then Rashtirya Janata Dal (RJD) MP RK Rana, Lalu said, "I have never accepted any money from anyone. If Rana has given me anything, the court should ask him and also provide the evidence." He added that the CBI officials should be punished for fabricating a false case and not putting forward all the records.

Lalu also denied the allegation of having close relations with some of the key accused in the case and of having appointed DN Prasad Kashyap as vice chairman of the 20-point implementation programme. "The court may call for the files of the appointment of vice-chairman of 20 point implementation programme. I had approved the name of one Deen Dayal Kashyap but some one changed it without bringing to my notice," claimed Lalu.

Another former chief minister of Bihar, Jaggannath Mishra too claimed innocence in the case. "I have never patronized any one who was involved in the fodder scam. I have been falsely implicated in the case," said Mishra. 

The other main accused in the case are Lok Sabha MP from Jahanbad in Bihar, Jagdish Sharma, former IAS officers Julius Beck, Mahendra Prasad and Phul Chandra Singh and animal husbandry (AHD) officers KM Prasad and SN Sharma.