Sunday, May 15 2005 12:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: A three-member Bench of Justice Ram Nandan Prasad, Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice M L Visa has been constituted for day-to-day hearing from tomorrow (May 16, 2005) on RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) president Laloo Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi's petition challenging sanction for their prosecution in disproportionate assets (DA) case, an offshoot of multi-crore fodder scam.

The Bench has been constituted by acting Chief Justice of the Patna High Court Justice Nagendra Rai through an administrative order, court sources said today (May 15).

As per the Supreme Court order the verdict on the petition had to be delivered before the court closes for the summer vacation.

The HC is closing for the summer vacation from May 21.

During last hearing of the case on Thursday (May 12), Justice Rai had ordered that hearing in the matter would start on day-to-day basis from Monday for "expeditious" disposal of the matter. On constitution of Bench, he, however, had said an administrative order would be passed.

The case had assumed significance because of certain developments concerning the matter.

The Supreme Court had on April 26 suggested to the Patna High Court to constitute a Bench comprising Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad for hearing the said petition.

But, Laloo Prasad had objected to it.

Justice Nagendra Rai had also on May 6 said it was the duty of the concerned High Court Chief Justice to constitute a Bench for hearing the case.

Subsequently, the apex court asked the HC to constitute the Bench on its own, but with an instruction that the order must be passed before the ensuing summer vacation.