Lalu Prasad Yadav, a leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and a former chief minister of Bihar, is currently out on bail in connection with an alleged fodder fraud. However, the CBI has challenged the bail decision in court.
The matter will be heard by the Supreme Court on August 25.
In four cases involving the multi-million dollar fodder fraud (Dumka, Chaibasa, Doranda, and Deogarh treasuries), where the RJD president was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court, the investigation agency appealed the court’s decision.
Lalu Prasad Yadav was found guilty in the cases, and several courts were still considering his appeals.
The CBI had requested that Lalu Prasad Yadav’s bail be revoked by the Supreme Court.
The 950 crore fodder scandal involves withdrawals for cow feed from several government treasuries. To make this possible, the Animal Husbandry Department allegedly issued “fake” bills.
In February of this year, a special CBI court found Lalu Prasad Yadav guilty in the Doranda treasury case involving the fodder fraud.
In four other cases concerning the Jharkhand treasuries of Dumka, Deoghar, and Chaibasa, Lalu Prasad Yadav had received a 14-year prison term.
The RJD leader, his wife Rabri Devi, their son, and Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, were all named in a chargesheet issued by the CBI in July about an alleged land-for-jobs scheme.
Investigative agencies claim that between 2004 and 2009, when Lalu Yadav was the railway minister, individuals were granted jobs within the Indian Railways in exchange for the Yadav family receiving gifts or discounts on land parcels.
Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav have been leading attempts to bring the opposition together and were instrumental in planning the first mega-meeting of 16 opposition groups, which took place in Patna on June 23.
10 additional parties joined the parties at a second gathering in Bengaluru on July 17–18, where the coalition adopted the moniker INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance).
