Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad appeared before a CBI court in the Bihar capital on Wednesday in a fodder scam case relating to the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs 46 lakh from Bhagalpur Banka treasury.

He was not examined in the court and left after appearing in person.

Additional security personnel were deployed in and around the court in view of his appearance.

“This was a routine process related to hearing in the Bhagalpur-Banka treasury case,” former MLC and Lalu’s Man Friday Bhola Yadav told reporters.

He also happens to be an advocate.

The CBI filed a charge sheet against 44 persons in this particular fodder scam case known as RC 63A of 1996. Altogether 22 accused have died.

Apart from Lalu Prasad, the others include former MPs Jagdish Sharma, R.K. Rana, former IAS officers Julius Beck and Phoolchand Singh, and others.

Lalu Prasad is at present on bail in other fodder scam cases in which the CBI court at Ranchi convicted him.

The fodder scam pertains to the embezzlement of funds worth Rs 1,000 crore in the animal husbandry department from the government treasuries in undivided Bihar.

The CBI took over investigations in 1996, and registered over 55 cases.

The former Bihar chief minister has been convicted in five cases so far and the Bhagalpur-Banka treasury case is the last one he is facing as an accused.