Prasad had moved the petition in the High Court for relief under the CrPC section after he was found guilty by the CBI court on September 30 last year in the fodder scam case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury.
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The bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice S.A. Bobde issued notice asking Lalu Prasad to respond in four weeks.
The Supreme Court today sought the response of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on CBI’s plea against dropping of conspiracy charge against him by the Jharkhand High Court in one of the fodder scam cases. The notice was sent following a plea by the CBI against the Jharkhand HC ruling.
The former chief minister of Bihar had been charged in several cases related to the scam, in which Rs 900 crores were embezzled from the state exchequer for fictitious medicines and fodder for cattle over a period of 20 years. Through these laws, a person once convicted or acquitted can not be tried again for the same offence.
The High Court quashed charges of criminal breach of trust by public servant, cheating, various counts of forgery, fraud, falsification of accounts and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act on the ground that the allegations in this case and the earlier Chaibasa Treasury one were the same. But he received bail in December 2013 from the Supreme Court.
The development comes at an uncomfortable time for Prasad, whose party is preparing to fight the upcoming Bihar assembly election jointly with Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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The conspiracy against Lalu has been dismissed by the High court of Jharkhand who was convicted in a fodder scam case eight months back.
