Tuesday, May 17 2005 10:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: Charges were today (May 17, 2005) framed against Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Laloo Prasad by a special CBI court in Ranchi in connection with a fodder scam case.

CBI Special Court judge Sanjay Prasad framed the charges against Laloo Prasad in connection with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury between December, 1995 and January, 1996.

Laloo was the Chief Minister of Bihar during the period.

The court also framed charges against former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and 37 others.

The RJD leader was physically present in the court.

The charges were framed under sections 420 (cheating), 120 b (conspiracy), sections 467 and 477 of the Indian Penal Code (467, 477) and sections 13(1) and 13(1) d of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Former Animal Husbandry director Ram Raj Ram was not present in the court during the framing of the charges.

If he failed to turn up before the court retired for the day, the court would split the case while cancelling his arrest warrant, CBI court sources said.

There were a total of 49 accused in the case relating to fraudulent withdrawal from Dumka treasury (RC/38a/96). While six of the accused died, three of them turned approvals.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Jagnnath Mishra was also physically present in the court.

On April 25, another special CBI court of Umashankar Prasad had framed charges against Laloo, Mishra and 68 others in case no RC 68/96 relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37 crore from Chaibasa treasury, now in Jharkhand, in 1996.

The CBI has filed chargesheets in sixty cases, of which 53 are being tried in the courts at Ranchi and seven in Patna. The Rs 950 crore fodder scam was unearthed in Bihar in 1996.