5year stretch again for Lalu
FODDER SCAM Former Bihar CM Jagannath Misra also handed fiveyear jail term; two more cases remain for Lalu RANCHI:
A special CBI court in Ranchi on Wednesday sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of ₹10 lakh on him in the third fodder scam case out of five lodged against him 22 years ago.
Besides Prasad, the court also convicted former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra and 48 others in the case related to fraudulent withdrawals worth ₹33.13 crore made from the Chaibasa treasury against the annual allotment of ₹7.10 lakh for the year 1992-93. The court acquitted six others accused.
The ₹900-crore fodder scam, probed by the CBI, relates to fraudulent withdrawal of public funds from different government treasuries over fictitious spends on fodder and other expenses for cattle.
Prasad, who has been lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail since December 23 last year after his conviction in another fodder scam case, appeared in person.
The special judge announced that Prasad had to undergo a rigorous imprisonment (RI) of 5 years for committing offences under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and another 5 years for committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“Both the sentences shall run concurrently,” the judge said. RJD leader and former chief minister of Bihar at the CBI court in Ranchi on Wednesday ahead of the verdict.
The court also slapped a fine of ₹10 lakh on Prasad saying nonpayment of the fine amount would mean an additional year’s imprisonment.
The court awarded sentences ranging from five years to three years and slapped fines ranging from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹12 lakh on each of the 50 convicts.
The RJD chief has already
been convicted in two fodder scam cases in 2013 and 2017 in which he was sentenced to five and three-and-a-half years of imprisonment respectively.
His first conviction on September 30, 2013, was a major blow to the veteran politician who faced disqualification from the Lok Sabha and a ban on contesting elections. He is still facing a trial A sum of was fraudulently withdrawn from various govt treasuries in undivided Bihar by showing expenditures for fodder, medicines, equipment in the animal husbandry department. Theft spanned many years involved numerous officials and politicians.
in two other scam cases.
Final arguments for one of these cases are to commence next week.
Earlier, Prasad’s lawyer pleaded for a lighter punishment citing his client’s multiple health issues. The CBI, however, demanded maximum punishment for Prasad.
Reacting to the judgment,
Prasad’s son and Bihar’s leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav said, “People know how the BJP and the RSS and more importantly Nitish Kumar have conspired against Lalu ji. We will approach higher courts ...”
RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said, “Prasad will come out clean in all cases. We will fight back ...”