M A I N   N E W S

Assets case against Laloo, Rabri
CBI court frames charges

PATNA, June 9 (UNI) — A CBI court today framed charges against Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and former Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav for having amassed, by way of criminal misconduct and corruption, properties disproportionate to their income while in public office.

This is first time in the state’s political history that a sitting Chief Minister has been charged with criminal misconduct and corruption. The court framed charges under the Punishable Act, according to which the accused, if guilty, could be punished for a maximum of seven years, besides some fine.

“I am of the opinion that there is ground for presuming that the accused persons have committed the offence and can be tried in this court,” Special Judge S.K. Lal observed while framing charges under Clause 13-1-E of the Prevention of Corruption Act against the two in the disproportionate assets case.

Ms Rabri Devi has also been charged under Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code for aiding and abetting her husband in amassing the assets framed.

The Judge said, “for the aforesaid reasons the petitions filed by both the accused for their discharge is rejected and charges.” The husband-wife duo were present in the court when the judgement was passed.

This was the second time that the court framed charges against Mr Yadav. The court had framed charges against him in a regular case related with the conspiracy angle of the multi-crore rupee fodder scam.

Rejecting their application for discharge, the court fixed July 4 for the trial and examination of the witnesses in the case.

The Judge had reserved orders on their application and on framing charges after completing the hearing in the case on June 5.

Earlier this week, the Income Tax Department rejected their appeal that the properties had been assessed far in excess of the actual income. The IT Commissioner (Appeal) Mr J. Sahay, said the properties would remain seized till they cleared the tax on the assets. Justifying the IT evaluation, Mr Sahay observed that the assessments were in fact far less than the actual income.

The Income Tax Department had attached their movable properties of Mr Yadav and Ms Rabri Devi on May 25 for their failure to pay the tax during 1992-1997 and also frozen their bank accounts in the post offices. Their family members and close relatives were also not allowed to operate the bank accounts.

NEW DELHI (PTI): RJD President Laloo Prasad Yadav today met President K.R. Narayanan to demand the recall of Bihar Governor V.C. Pande and a commission of inquiry into his (Governor’s) “misconduct” but ruled out stepping down of Chief Minister Rabri Devi in the wake of framing of charges against her in a corruption case.

In a memorandum to Mr Narayanan, a copy of which he later gave to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the RJD chief accused Mr Pande of “undermining” the Constitution and “murdering” democracy by inviting Nitish Kumar to form an NDA government and “dancing to the tune” of the Centre in “harassing” the RJD government in the state.

After his hour-long meeting with Mr Narayanan, the RJD leader told reporters that the President assured him that he would consult legal experts.