Fodder scam: SC pulls up ex-Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra for delaying CBI's plea

The Supreme Court today pulled up former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra for allegedly dragging and delaying the appeal filed by Central Bureau of Investigation challenging the quashing of four pending fodder scam cases against him.

A bench headed by Justice JS Khehar deprecated the delaying tactics adopted by Mishra, saying it is very unfortunate and amounts to cheating the court.

The CBI has challenged the 2014 order of the Jharkhand High Court quashing four pending fodder scam cases against him on the ground that a person convicted in one case could not be tried in similar cases based on the same witnesses and evidence.

Mishra, a former Congress leader, now with the JD(U), was convicted by a trial court in 2013 in one of the five fodder cases lodged against him. However, the CBI has contended that though the cases have arisen from the fodder scam, they are different in nature as different amounts were involved from different treasuries.

The apex court adjourned the hearing after giving the last opportunity to Mishra to file his response to the notice already issued two years ago.

--With PTI inputs