Laloo, Mishra sent to jail
Hearing today

PATNA, Oct 28 (PTI) — The former Bihar Chief Minister, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mr Jagannath Mishra, were today remanded in judicial custody till tomorrow after a designated court rejected their prayers for a provisional bail on adjournment of hearing for regular bail in a conspiracy angle case of the fodder scam.

The others who were remanded in custody include a former Union Minister, Mr Chandradeo Prasad Verma, two former Cabinet colleagues of Mr Yadav — Mr Bholaram Toofani and Mr Vidyasagar Nishad — and an RJD MLA, Mr R.K. Rana.

The Judge, Mr S.K. Lal, who heard their pleas for regular bail upon their surrender, adjourned the hearing till tomorrow as a mark of respect to a senior advocate of the court who died during the vacation period.

Their surrender followed a directive of the Supreme Court, which had on September 25 turned down their pleas against a Patna High Court order upholding the July 2 order of the trial court to surrender.

The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 97 lakh from Deoghar treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials.

The CBI judge in his order, said that he did not have any authority to grant 'any interim relief to the accused in view of the apex court directive that the trial court decide their regular bail pleas on their merit and in accordance with the law'.

Therefore, their prayers for provisional bail were rejected and the accused, who surrendered today, were being remanded in judicial custody with a directive to the Beur Jail Superintendent to produce them tomorrow when hearing on their regular bail petitions would resume, he said.

Mr Lal said after the lunch recess that he had received a resolution of the District Bar Association mourning the demise of a senior lawyer and adjourned the hearing.

The special court had on July 2 taken cognisance of the CBI charge sheet filed on November 28 last year under Sections 120(B), 418, 420, 467, 468, 477(A), 409, 201 and 511 of the IPC as also under Section 13 (B) read with Section 13 (1) (D) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and issued the processes.

This is for the second time that Mr Yadav had surrendered in a fodder scam case.

Dressed in a spotless white kurta and pyjama, the RJD President reached the court around 11.40 a.m. here to surrender in the case.

Tight security arrangements were made in and around the civil court premises.

Soon after Mr Yadav surrendered, his counsel Rajendra Singh applied for regular bail on his behalf.

Later, talking to newsmen inside the court premises, which wore the look of a garrison with Rapid Action Force (RAF) and state police personnel manning all entry and exit points, Mr Yadav said he had full faith in the judiciary and would abide by all directives of the court.

Mr Mishra also reposed full faith in the judiciary and said 'truth will prevail'.