Fodder Scam: CBI filled chargesheet against Lalu, Jagannath and 29 others

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filled charge sheets against 31 accused including former Chief Minister of bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Jagannath Mishra in the with the 1996’s multi-crore animal fodder scam.

Framing the charges against Lalu, Mishra, Janata Dal (United) MP Jagdish Sharma, former RJD MP RK Rana, former Animal Husbandry minister Vidyasagar Nishad and 27 others in the connection of their alleged involvement in fraudulently withdraing of Rs. 45,96,048 by the officials of state Animal Husbandry department from Banka and Bhagalpur treasury through fake bills between 1994-96, the police have booked them under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document as genuine), 477 (A) (falsification of accounts), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC and section 32 (read with 13 (1) ( D) of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

The fodder scam also known as the "Chara Ghotala" was a corruption scandal that involved the alleged embezzlement of about Rs. 950 crore from a Bihar Government treasury.

The alleged theft spanned many years, and was engaged in by many Bihar state government administrative and elected officials across multiple administrations, and involved the fabrication of "vast herds of fictitious livestock" for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured.

The fodder scam was unearthed in Bihar in 1996 when Lalu Prasad was Bihar's chief minister. He had to resign from the post in 1997 after a court issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with one of the cases. His wife Rabri Devi then took over as the state's chief minister.

The CBI had chargesheeted them in this conspiracy angle case on March 3, 2003, and the court took cognizance on April 30 the same year.

--With ANI Inputs--