CBI courts to hear Lalu’s petitions on April 29 and 30

RANCHI: Two special CBI courts in Ranchi on Friday fixed April 29 and 30 to hear petitions filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, seeking court orders to quash ongoing criminal proceedings initiated against him in two pending fodder scam cases.

The courts fixed the date giving liberty to the CBI to file its replies to contest Lalu’s petitions.

The court’s order came in response to an application filed by Prasad stating that he on December 19, 2013 had filed three separate petitions with the respective CBI courts in Ranchi challenging the validity of criminal proceedings initiated against him in fodder scam cases RC 64 (A)/96, RC 68 (A)/96 and RC 38 (A)/96.

Subsequently, the court on December 23, 2013 had sought CBI’s reply within 15 days but even after a lapse of three months no reply was filed by the CBI, Prasad submitted.

He stated that the CBI should

THE COURTS FIXED THE DATE GIVING LIBERTY TO THE CBI TO FILE ITS REPLIES TO CONTEST LALU’S PETITIONS

be given last opportunity to file its reply failing which the averments made in his petitions should be treated as correct and acceptable to the CBI.

Lalu pleaded that he had already been convicted in one of the cases and offences leveled against him in all other cases were of similar nature. He argued that no one should be put on peril twice for the same offence.

He contended that he had already been convicted in one of the cases and therefore any further prosecution in other pending cases would be barred under Article 20 (2) of the constitution and also under Section 300 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He urged the court to quash all other cases still pending against him.