HC ask CBI to file counter-affidavit in fodder scam

RANCHI: Jharkhand High Court today directed the CBI to file a counter-affidavit on a writ seeking to make Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and JDU leader Shivanand Tiwari accused in the Rs 950 crore fodder scam.

The single bench of Justice R R Prasad asked the central investigating agency to explain why Kumar and Tiwari should not be arraigned as accused in the scam.

The court fixed November 22 to hear the case. The direction comes after Mithilesh Kumar Singh filed a public interest litigation urging the court to make Kumar and Tiwari as accused in the AHD scam as they had allegedly been paid money.

The petitioner, who moved the high court after a lower court rejected his PIL about three months ago, alleged in his petition that there was allegation that Kumar and Tiwari, along with Lalu Prasad Yadav, were allegedly involved in the scam.

"We will file a counter affidavit on Monday or Tuesday," a senior CBI official said.

The high court direction comes four days after a special CBI court set September 30 to deliver judgement against 45 accused, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad, in the case pertaining to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s when the RJD was in power in the undivided Bihar.