CBI challenges bail granted to Lalu Yadav in fodder scam cases in Supreme Court.

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Mr Yadav was convicted in the cases and his appeals are pending in various courts.

New Delhi:

In fresh trouble for Lalu Yadav, the Central Bureau of Investigation has approached the Supreme Court and challenged the bail granted to him in cases linked to the alleged fodder scam. The court will hear the petition on August 25.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief had been granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in at least four cases and all the orders have been challenged by the CBI. He was convicted in the cases and his appeals are pending in various courts.

The 950-crore fodder scam involved funds meant for animal fodder being embezzled from multiple government treasuries across undivided Bihar. Fake bills were allegedly issued by the Animal Husbandry Department to facilitate this.

Chaibasa Deputy Commissioner Amit Khare had discovered the embezzlement in 1996, when Lalu Yadav was the chief minister.

Last month, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against the RJD chief, his wife Rabri Devi and their son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged land-for-jobs scam.

Investigating agencies have alleged that people were given employment in the Indian Railways from 2004 to 2009 ★when Lalu Yadav was the railway minister ★in return for land parcels being gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family.

Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav have been at the forefront of efforts to unite the opposition and played a key role in organising the first mega meet of 16 opposition parties that was held in Patna on June 23. The parties were joined by 10 others in Bengaluru for a second meeting on July 17-18, where the coalition named itself the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).