Two special Central Bureau of Investigation courts on Monday framed charges against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Jaganath Mishra in the multi-crore-rupees fodder scam.
Lalu pleaded innocence, arguing that he was the person who had ordered filing of the cases.
Lalu faces charges under various sections like abusing official position for causing wrongful gains to self and others, using forged documents as genuine, falsification of accounts, cheating, misappropriation and conspiracy.
Special CBI judge Sanjay Prasad framed the charges against the railway minister and 146 others accused in the RC 47(A)/96 case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 182 crore from Doranda treasury in Ranchi.
Lalu said that he should be discharged from the case as it was he who had directed to file the cases.
However, CBI counsel B M Singh contended that the plea of the accused to be discharged does not stand scrutiny as the same court had earlier rejected his discharge petition in the same case.
The court of another special CBI judge Alok Sengupta also framed charges against Lalu, Mishra and 29 others accused in RC64(A)/96 case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of over Rs 90 lakh from Deogarh treasury.
Here too the RJD chief pleaded for his discharge with the same argument, but the CBI counsel said that the case had been filed by the CBI suo moto.
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