Lalu gets 14-year prison term in fourth fodder scam case

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad ( pictured) was on Saturday sentenced to 14 years in jail and fined ~6 million by a special CBI court in connection with the fourth fodder scam case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of ~31.3 million from Dumka treasury in the early 1990s, a CBI counsel said here.

CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh awarded two separate sentences of seven years each to Prasad under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Acts, counsel Rakesh Prasad said. Both the sentences will have to be served consecutively, he added.

Advocate Vishnu Sharma, while explaining the court’s decision, said, “Lalu Prasad has been sentenced to seven years in prison under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged), 477 (fraudulent cancellation, destruction of will or valuable security) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), and penalised ~3 million.

“He was awarded another seven-year jail term and slapped with a fine of ~3 million under the Prevention of Corruption Act...Both the sentences will run consecutively.” For default or non-payment of fine, the convict would have to spend one more year in prison for each of the two sets of sections, Sharma said.

The court also pronounced the quantum of sentence for 18 other convicts in the case. Former regional director of Animal Husband ry department OP Diwarkar received the same punishment as Prasad. Nine other Animal Husband ry department officials and former IAS officer Phoolchand Singh were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined ~3 million each for their involvement in the case.

Sharma said failure to pay the fine would entail an additional 18-month prison term for each of them.

Seven fodder suppliers were given three-and-a-half years of prison terms and ~1.5 million penalty each. Prabhat Kumar, Lalu Prasad's counsel, told reporters he would appeal in a higher court against the judgment. The court had on March 19 held the 69-year-old RJD chief guilty along with 18 others in connection with the Dumka treasury case. Former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra, however, was acquitted in the case, along with 12 other accused.

Prasad has been serving prison term in Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi since December 23 last year after being convicted in the second fodder scam case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of money from Deogarh treasury.