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Fodder scam: Lalu, Jagannath statements to be recorded

By IANS,

Ranchi : The statements of two former Bihar chief ministers — Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra — will be recorded from Feb 13 in a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here in the multi-million fodder scam.

The statements will be recorded in a case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.37 crore from Chaibasa treasury. The statements of all the 330 witness in the case have been recorded.

There are 46 accused in the case, including Lalu Yadav and Mishra, whose statements will be recorded Feb 13 and 14.

On Thursday, a CBI court also convicted 26 people and awarded them 1-6 years of jail term in a fodder scam case.

Lalu Prasad and Mishra are accused in five cases related to the scam. Their trial is on in CBI courts in Ranchi.

The fodder scam hit the headlines in the late 1990s in Bihar where officials and politicians were accused of illegally withdrawing crores of rupees of public money in the guise of purchasing cattle fodder.

A total of 61 cases were filed in the scam and 53 were transferred to Jharkhand after it was carved out from Bihar in 2000.

With Thursday’s verdict, different CBI courts in Ranchi have passed judgments in 40 cases.