SC issues notice over Lalu plea

The Supreme Court Tuesday issued notice on RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's plea for transfer of trial in an alleged illegal assets case against him from the existing special CBI court in Jharkhand to any other court with competent jurisdiction.

The apex court bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice J. Chelameswar, while issuing the notice, also granted him interim suspension of further proceedings before the trial court.

The apex court order came upon senior counsel Ram Jethmalani telling the court that the trial court has followed an unusual procedure wherein while the arguments were in progress, it put up a notice informing the party to file the written argument by July 1, 2013, so that the judgment could be pronounced July 15, 2013.

The court was informed that there was likelihood of a bias as the sister of the trial court Judge Minu Devi was married to late Jainendra Shahi, the cousin of Bihar minister P.K. Shahi who was recently defeated by a RJD candidate in a parliamentary by-election.

The notice is returnable in two weeks.