High court issues notice to Lalu Rabri in DA case

Patna, Mar 22: The Patna High Court today issued notices to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi in connection with the appeal filed by the Bihar government challenging their acquittal in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case by the designated court. A single bench of Ramesh Kumar Datta issued the notice to the two asking them to reply why the state appeal challenging their acquittal should not be admitted.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniyam submitted before the court that the Bihar government had no right to appeal against the acquittal as the CBI was investigating the case and was the appropriate party to challenge their acquittal in the DA case with permission from the Central government.

Appearing for the state government, senior lawyer of the Supreme court Harish Salve maintained that Bihar government had the right to file an appeal in this case and it was entirely under the ambit of law.

Earlier, the state government had filed this appeal on February 19, 2007 in the Patna High Court against the acquittal of Mr Prasad and his wife by the CBI special court on December 18, 2006.

The CBI had registered the case against Mr Lalu Prasad on August 19, 1998. The investigating agency had charged Mr Prasad with amassing property worth Rs 42 lakh disproportionate to his known sources of income during his stint as Bihar Chief Minister, while Ms Rabri Devi was charged with ''abetting her husband's offence''.

UNI