Next fodder scam verdict on Jan 24

 Even  as the lawyers of RJD chief Lalu Prasad  are gearing up to move Jharkhand High Court for his bail, the incarcerated leader, now lodged in Ranchi's Birsa Munda Jail, may have to spend some more time behind bars.

A CBI court in Ranchi, hearing one of the five fodder scam cases, on Wednesday decided to pronounce its judgement in the Chaibasa treasury case on January 24.

This decision was arrived at after the arguments in the fodder scam case 68A/96, related to the illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.6 crore from Chaibasa treasury (now in Jharkhand), was over.

Lalu is already in jail after being sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment in the fodder scam case RC 64A/96, which is related to the illegal withdrawal of around Rs 90 lakh from Deogarh treasury.

Lalu was produced in three different fodder scam cases in Ranchi on Wednesday.

Lalu, who is an accused in five fodder scam cases in Jharkhand and one in Bihar, could not be produced in the CBI court  in Patna on Wednesday.

The CBI court had earlier issued a production warrant and asked Lalu to appear before it in connection with the trial in the Bhagalpur treasury case on January 10.

Lalu is one of the accused in the illegal withdrawal of Rs 45 lakh from the Bhagalpur treasury between 1990 and 1994.