Fodder Scam Accused Get Bail, Courtesy Cbi

Some politicians accused of involvement in the multi-crore Bihar animal husbandry department scam have been released on bail because the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is dragging its feet on the charge sheets against them. The designated court recently granted some of them bail because the charge sheets had not been filed within the mandatory 90 days.

Revealing this yesterday, Union agriculture minister Chaturanan Mishra, who hails from Bihar, said he had asked his party colleague, Union home minister Indrajit Gupta, to direct the CBI to file charges in all the cases relating to the fodder scam.

He said he would take up the matter with Prime Minister I K Gujral when he returned from his current tour of the three African countries.

The designated CBI court granted bail to Congress MLA Jagdish Sharma on October 3 on the ground that the CBI did not file a charge sheet against him in the case number RC (38(A)96). Sharma is the first politician to be given bail in the case, on the conspiracy behind the fodder scam.

Former Bihar chief ministers Laloo Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra are two of the politicians who are in jail awaiting trial of cases relating to the conspiracy behind the fodder scam.

The CBI is under the direct control of prime Minister IK Gujral, who is perceived by most politicians to be aligned with Laloo Prasad Yadav, even though he is technically a member of the Janata Dal. Laloo Prasad had split the party and formed the Rashtriya Janata Dal when Sharad Yadav was set to replace him as party president.

The CPI, which has a significant base in central Bihar, has taken an agitationist stand against Yadav and the alleged corruption in his government.

Mishra said yesterday that the delay on the part of the premier investigating agency was causing confusion and might come in the way of a fair trial. If there is no charge against some of the accused, the cases should be disposed of or the CBI should file chargesheets against them without delay, he said.

Meanwhile, the CBI special director, (southeast), D.R. Kartikeyan, will be in Patna today to review the progress of investigations into the cases of fodder scam, reports PTI. CBI sources said the special director would camp here for two days to hold discussions with the agencys officials.

Kartikeyan is also likely to call on Governor A.R. Kidwai, during his stay. The agency is awaiting gubernatorial sanction to file chargesheet against former Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav in yet another conspiracy angle case.

(RC 64 A/96) of the multi-crore scam which relates to fraudulent withdrawals of over rs 97 lakh from Deoghar treasury.

Meanwhile, CBI joint director, U.N. Biswas, incharge of the investigations into the scam, is to arrive here.