Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leader of the Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD), has responded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Supreme Court of India, opposing their efforts to deny him bail in the Fodder scam case. Yadav firmly stated that the CBI cannot seek the apex court’s intervention to revoke his bail order merely because the agency is dissatisfied with the decision.
The CBI had challenged the orders of the Jharkhand High Court that granted bail to Lalu Prasad Yadav in four cases related to the multi-crore fodder scam. The cases involve alleged embezzlement of funds from Dumka, Chaibasa, Doranda, and Deogarh treasuries.
A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, is scheduled to hear the matter on 25 August. The RJD leader’s bail was granted despite his five-year prison sentence handed down by a CBI court in February 2022. He was also fined ₹60 lakh for his involvement in the embezzlement of over ₹139 crore from the Doranda treasury.
In his response, Lalu Prasad Yadav cited his poor health and argued that his custody serves no purpose. He maintained that the high court’s decision was based on general principles and uniform rules and should not be interfered with, as reported by India Today.
The fodder scam, amounting to ₹950 crore, revolved around alleged fraudulent withdrawals from various government treasuries for cattle fodder. The scheme reportedly involved the issuance of “fake” bills by the Animal Husbandry Department to facilitate the withdrawals. Lalu Yadav, who held the finance portfolio of undivided Bihar and served as the chief minister during the scam period, was accused of receiving kickbacks through the animal husbandry department. The fraudulent bills were allegedly cleared by the finance department, and money was released through the treasury.
Additionally, the CBI had filed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, in an alleged land-for-jobs scam. This case, investigated by the agencies, involves allegations that individuals were granted jobs in the Indian Railways between 2004 and 2009 in exchange for land deals benefiting the Yadav family, during Lalu Yadav’s tenure as the railway minister.
