New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with the bail granted to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the Deoghar fodder scam case.

While refusing to cancel his bail, the apex court directed the Jharkhand High Court to expedite the hearing of the pending criminal appeals, noting that they have remained pending since 2018.

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The bench observed that the appeals should be taken up and decided at the earliest, considering the long delay in their disposal.

What is the Deoghar fodder scam case?

The Deoghar case is one of several cases linked to the multi-crore fodder scam, in which fraudulent withdrawals were allegedly made from government treasuries in undivided Bihar over several years using fake bills for animal husbandry supplies.

Lalu Prasad Yadav has been convicted in multiple fodder scam cases investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

What did the Supreme Court say?

The Supreme Court declined to interfere with the bail granted to the former Bihar Chief Minister in the Deoghar case.

However, it instructed the Jharkhand High Court to speed up the hearing of the pending appeals, which have been awaiting adjudication for nearly eight years.

The court's order means Lalu Prasad Yadav will continue to remain on bail while the appeals are heard