The Supreme Court has rejected the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea to revoke the bail of Lalu Prasad Yadav in the Deoghar fodder scam case. The Court upheld the Jharkhand High Court’s decision to suspend Yadav’s sentence, citing the passage of seven years since the suspension.
In response to the CBI’s request, the apex court urged the Jharkhand High Court to expedite the hearing of pending criminal appeals, ideally within six months. The Court stated that it would not intervene in the High Court’s order from 2018 and emphasized the need for a prompt resolution.
During the proceedings, the CBI argued that the High Court’s decision was based on an incorrect assumption regarding Yadav’s sentence completion. On the contrary, Yadav’s counsel defended the High Court’s judgment, asserting that it was based on fair judicial discretion.
The Supreme Court inquired about the status of the criminal appeals awaiting resolution in the Jharkhand High Court. Despite the CBI attributing delays to the accused, the apex court noted the prolonged pendency of the appeals since 2018 and decided against interfering with the suspension of Yadav’s sentence.
The Court directed the High Court to expedite the hearing of Yadav’s appeal challenging his conviction, along with the CBI’s plea for an increased sentence due to the gravity of the economic crimes involved. The fodder scam cases revolve around fraudulent withdrawals amounting to nearly Rs 950 crore during Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister of Bihar.
