Ranchi, June 07: The CBI today filed chargesheets against Congress MP Rajo Singh in connection with the fodder scam cases. CBI sources said Singh was chargesheeted in two cases- case no RC/47/96 and RC/68/98- pertaining to withdrawal of Rs 187 crore and Rs 39 crore from Doranda (Ranchi) and Chaibasa (West Singhbhum) treasuries respectively.
The CBI charges against Singh, who represents Begusarai seat (in Bihar) in parliament, pertains to the period when he was a legislator.
The chargesheets were filed in the court of CBI special judge II Alok Sengupta.
The sources said the process of filing chargesheets was delayed on the question of prosecution sanction by competent authority.
While the Bihar assembly speaker maintained that it was the Lok Sabha speaker who was competent to grant prosecution sanction against Singh as the latter is an MP, the Lok Sabha secretary general, after obtaining guidance from the Attorney General of India stated that since Singh was an MLA when the scam had surfaced, it was the Bihar assembly speaker who was competent to grant prosecution.
The investigating agency pleaded to the Jharkhand High Court for directions to be issued to Bihar government for taking up the matter with the assembly speaker who ultimately granted the prosecution.
After the bifurcation of Bihar, 55 fodder scam cases were transferred to Jharkhand.
Bureau Report