M A I N   N E W S

Laloo denied bail, lands in jail

Former Chief Minister and RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav surrender in a CBI court in Ranchi on Monday. Top: The police chasing mob gathered outside a court where Laloo Prasad Yadav appeared to surrender in Ranchi on Monday. Bottom: An injured supporter of Laloo Prasad is seen after lathi charge. — PTI photos

Ranchi, November 26
Former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav was today denied bail in a fodder scam case and sent to jail after he gave himself up before a CBI court here capping a Jharkhand journey packed with high drama on the road.

CBI judge H.C. Mishra denied Mr Yadav bail and sent him to 15-day judicial custody in case No RC47A/96 in connection with the fraudulent withdrawal of over Rs 137 crore by Animal Husbandry Department officials after hearing arguments from the prosecution and defence lawyers led by Mr Ram Jethmalani.

The judge also sent Mr Jagannath Mishra, another former Bihar Chief Minister, to judicial remand in connection with the case.

Mr Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, surrendered in the court amid tight security, hours after reaching here last night accompanied by 30 Bihar ministers in a caravan of vehicles and emotionally-charged supporters.

The police used batons to keep at bay a surging crowd, including journalists, outside the court leaving some of them injured.

After the judge gave his order, Mr Yadav said: “The Supreme Court had sent me here so that I can get bail. But I have not been granted bail. Justice has never been done to me.”

This was the fifth time that Mr Yadav was jailed in connection with the fodder scam cases.

The Supreme Court had on November 5 directed Mr Yadav to surrender before the designated judge at Ranchi after vacating stays on arrest warrants pending against him and others.

Of the 64 cases in the fodder scam, the CBI had filed charge sheets in 52. The RJD president’s involvement has been shown by the CBI in seven conspiracy angle cases of the multi-crore scam. He has secured bail in four.

Mr Yadav will be lodged in a make-shift jail in a guest house of the Beacon Factory here which itself has fallen on bad days in the wake of the fodder scam. PTI

Samata to challenge lodging of Laloo

Patna, November 26
The Samata Party today announced that it would challenge the Jharkhand Government’s decision to lodge RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav in a guest house instead of sending him to a permanent prison.

The Samata Party national general secretary and MP Mr Rajeev Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, said the party would move the Ranchi High Court seeking reversal of the government decision on accommodation provided to Mr Yadav as a prisoner, on December 7. PTI

Laloo’s ‘baraat’ unbecoming: BJP
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 26
The BJP today described as “unbecoming” and “glorification of corruption” the manner in which former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav went to Ranchi to surrender before a designated court in the fodder scam case.

Mr Yadav should have avoided going to Ranchi in a “baraat” with a big motorcade as he is an accused in a corruption case, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told newspapers.

“Although there is no rule or norm to which a person should adhere to while producing himself in the court, it is a question of morality...he is facing serious corruption charges and this tantamounts to glorifying corruption,” Mr Malhotra said.

Mr Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal president, travelled from Patna to Ranchi in a ‘Garib Chetna Rath’ yesterday to surrender in the special CBI court.

On the NCERT textbook controversy, the BJP accused the Congress of having double standards and condemned the party joining hands with the Samajwadi Party in walking out of the Lok Sabha on the issue.