RANCHI: Two special CBI courts framed charges against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and the former Bihar Chief Minister, Jagannath Mishra, in the fodder scam on Monday, even as both pleaded innocence.

Mr. Prasad faces charges of abusing his official position for causing wrongful gains to himself and others, using forged documents as genuine, falsification of accounts, cheating, misappropriation and conspiracy.

Fraudulent withdrawals

Pleading before special CBI judge Sanjay Prasad, who framed the charges against him and 146 other accused in the RC 47(A)/96 case of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 182 crores from the Doranda treasury in Ranchi, Mr. Prasad said he should be discharged as it was he who gave directions to file the cases.

However, CBI counsel B.M. Singh said the plea would not stand scrutiny as the same court earlier rejected his discharge petition in the same case.

The court of another special CBI judge, Alok Sengupta, also framed charges against Mr. Prasad, Mr. Mishra and 29 others accused in the RC64(A)/96 case of fraudulent withdrawal of over Rs. 90 lakhs from the Deogarh treasury.

Here too, the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief pleaded for discharge with the same argument, but CBI counsel said the agency filed the case suo motu. Both the former Chief Ministers appeared before the courts.Mr. Prasad accused the investigating agency of hatching a conspiracy against him. He said it was making the same charges in all cases.

The CBI court has completed the framing of charges in all 48 cases. Two cases have been closed. Five cases have ended in the conviction of 26 persons.

Mr. Mishra said he was anti-Lalu and had never met him.

Besides producing over 150 sheets containing the probe report, the CBI appended thousands of documents, which included bills and other materials, in the two cases.

— PTI

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