CBI defends Lalu in apex court

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which probed into fodder scam cases against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad as well as the disproportionate assets case against him and Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, has termed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of their bail "politically motivated".

The Supreme Court had on October 1 issued notices to Prasad, Rabri Devi, the CBI and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on the petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Modi and Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh. Petitioners had sought cancellation of the bail of the accused on the ground that they had been interfering with the probe and trial.

It was alleged that since the new government, of which Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is a coalition partner, had come to power at the Centre concerted efforts were being made to scuttle the probe and trial in the fodder scam cases by changing the investigation officers and public prosecutors as Prasad was a key accused in the scam.

Giving a clean chit to Prasad, the CBI in its affidavit before the apex court said the allegation that he was indulging in acts to derail the prosecution "is false and not at all borne out from the facts and records of the case".

Questioning the locus standi of the petitioners, the CBI said "the petitioner is a politician and is obviously seeking to achieve his own political purposes."

The CBI gave details of the circumstances under which a new public prosecutor was appointed to conduct the trial of the fodder scam cases and said the services of the earlier public prosecutor was still available with the agency and that he was dealing with other cases of fodder scam.

The averment of the petitioners that the respondents were "indulging in acts to derail the prosecution is false and not at all borne out from the facts and records of the case," the CBI said.