CBI challenges bail for Lalu Prasad Yadav in fodder scam case; Supreme Court to hear appeal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lodged a legal petition with the Supreme Court opposing the bail granted to Lalu Prasad Yadav, the President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and former Chief Minister of Bihar, by the Jharkhand High Court on Friday. This bail pertains to the Doranda treasury case associated with the fodder scam.

The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for the appeals presented by the CBI on August 25.

The CBI has contested the decisions of the Jharkhand High Court that allowed Lalu Prasad to be released on bail in four cases linked to the substantial multi-crore fodder scam. These cases are related to the Dumka, Chaibasa, Doranda, and Deogarh treasuries.

Earlier this year, in February, a specialised CBI court found Lalu Prasad Yadav guilty in the Doranda treasury case, a part of the larger fodder scam.

The term "fodder scam" pertains to the illicit withdrawal of Rs 950 crore from various government treasuries for non-existent expenses related to fodder and other cattle necessities during Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as Bihar's Chief Minister.

Among the 99 individuals charged in the Doranda treasury case, 24 were acquitted, while 46 individuals were handed three-year prison sentences in the preceding week.