Fodder scam: Lalu,Mishra appear before CBI court

RJD chief Lalu Prasad along with former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra were among the 34 accused who appeared today before a CBI court for framing of charges against them in the fodder scam case.

CBI judge B K Jain,however,did not take up the framing of charges after six of them,including Mishra,moved a petition praying that they be allowed to challenge in Patna High Court the CBI court’s August 18 order rejecting their discharge petitions in the case.

The petitioners have been granted time till September 21 to challenge the rejection of discharge petitions in the high court.

All the 34 are accused of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 47 lakh from Banka and Bhagalpur treasuries through ‘forged and fake’ bills by the state animal husbandry department in 1995-96.