Lalu awarded 14-year jail term, ₹60 lakh fine in fodder scam
A special CBI court on Saturday sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad to 14 years in prison for corruption, dealing a massive setback to the embattled politician who has been in a Ranchi jail since December after conviction in two similar cases of what is widely known as fodder scam.
The scam case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of ₹ 3.76 crore from Dumka treasury during December 1995 to January 1996.
The court on Saturday awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to Prasad under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and a separate seven years of RI under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
The court said both the sentences would run consecutively meaning thereby that Prasad would have to serve a total of 14 years in prison in this case.
RANCHI:
It also slapped a fine of ₹60 lakh on Prasad. Default of fine amount will drag another two years of simple imprisonment.
“This if for the first time in the history of fodder scam cases that the court announced that punishments awarded under IPC and PC Act would run consecutively. In all other 50 fodder scam cases disposed of till date, the sentences given under the two laws run concurrently,” said Prasad’s advocate Prabhat Kumar.
Kumar added that 14 years of rigorous imprisonment was the highest punishment ever given to any of the nearly 1,500 convicts of fodder scam cases. He said, “We will soon file appeal against the verdict in Jharkhand high court.”