Lalu Yadav is awaiting sentencing after being convicted in the fodder scam case (File Photo)
A day after a special CBI court judge who is hearing a fodder scam case against Lalu Yadav said he received phone calls from the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief's "well-wishers", leaders from Mr Yadav's party today retorted saying nobody from the RJD had called the judge.
Judge Shiv Pal Singh had last month
convicted Lalu Yadav and 15 others for embezzlement of over Rs. 85 lakh in government funds in the 1990s in a fodder scam case.
Lalu Yadav, 69, while awaiting his sentence on Thursday slipped in a prayer or two, pleading to be let off the hook.
The judge responded to this saying his he got phone calls from "his well-wishers too".
"I came to know about it through media reports. I can say with certainty that no RJD leader would resort to such a step, as everyone knows that such desperation can backfire," said RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary.
Mr Tiwary also said "the possibility of our political opponents making such a call in the guise of RJD supporters cannot be ruled out. They may indulge in such mischief to queer the pitch for Lalu".
Mr Tiwary also asked why the judge is unwilling to name the callers.
Echoing Mr Twiary's views, senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh told reporters that it is unlikely that any of Mr Yadav's well-wishers would do something like this. "Unless the judge sheds more light on the episode... discloses the identity of the callers, much cannot be said on the issue," he said.
Meanwhile, Bihar BJP spokesman Sanjay Singh Tiger alleged that the reports of calls to the judge showed that "RJD leaders were going to the extent of trying to put pressure on the judiciary to save their party chief from facing the consequences of corruption".
Asked if BJP men could have made telephone calls pretending to be RJD supporters, Mr Tiger said the charges were ridiculous. "Why would any of our leaders ever seek leniency for Lalu with whatever motive? Our party has been in the forefront of exposing the corruption of Lalu and his family and we are glad that justice is being done," he said.