New Delhi: The court can decide about dropping charges against RJD leader Lalu Prasad in three cases related to the fodder scam, the Solicitor-General has said. The CBI had sought the view of the S-G after CBI Director Ranjit Sinha felt that charges against Lalu should be dropped in the pending cases of the scam citing a Jharkhand High Court order that a person not be tried again in the scam if the charges against him were similar.
"They were chargesheeted separately as the cases were different. It's up to the court to decide about dropping the charges aganist Lalu in the fodder scam," sources quoted the S-G as saying.
In recommending that the charges against Yadav be dropped, Sinha differed not only with Director of Prosecution (DOP) OP Verma but also other senior officers of the Patna Branch, including the head of Patna Zone.
"(Most of) the evidence in the case and most of the accused persons are common, including the ingredients of charges in the said cases.
"I am of the view that a person may not be tried for the same offences in another case for which he has already been convicted when the evidence is the same," Sinha said.
"Since I do not agree with the DOP, let the matter be referred to the Solicitor General for his opinion on the legal issues," he had said on February 26.
Lalu has been convicted in one of the cases in the scam.
The cases in which Sinha recommended that charges against Yadav be dropped are connected with the alleged illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka Treasury during the period December, 1995 - January, 1996, Rs 84.53 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1990-94 and Rs 33.13 crore from Chaibasa Treasury during December, 1992-93.
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