By IANS

Patna : The Patna High Court Thursday admitted a petition filed by the Bihar government challenging the acquittal of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife, former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, in a 1998 corruption case of amassing wealth disproportionate to their income.

On Sep 24, the court will hear the petition challenging the acquittal of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in connection with the disproportionate assets case, a court official said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had lodged the corruption case against Lalu Prasad and his wife in 1998. The case is an offshoot of the multibillion-rupee fodder scam in Bihar.

In April 2000, the CBI had filed the charge sheet in the case after which both the accused had surrendered in court. While Rabri Devi got bail, Lalu Prasad was sent to jail.

He remained in jail for over a month before finally getting bail on May 10, 2000. In the charge sheet, the CBI had said Lalu Prasad owned property worth only Rs.644,000 when he took oath as chief minister on March 10, 1990. Later, the couple amassed property worth Rs.5.1 million, much higher than their known sources of income.