Fodder scam: Fate of Lalu, Mishra to be decided today

The special CBI court in Ranchi, hearing the fodder scam cases, will decide the fate of two former Bihar chief ministers  - Lalu Prasad Yadav and Dr Jagannath Mishra  - when it pronounces its verdict on Saturday.

CBI judge Shivpal Singh will deliver the verdict in one of the six cases registered against Lalu. This case RC 64A/96 is related to fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs 90 lakh from Deogarh treasury, in which Lalu, as well as Mishra, are accused.

This case has reached its conclusion 21 years after the scam was unearthed. Lalu was earlier convicted and jailed in another fodder scam case on September 13, 2013. The conviction got him five years imprisonment, disqualification from Lok Sabha (he was then sitting MP from Saran) and a ban on contesting elections for six years after his jail term ends. However, the Supreme Court granted him bail in December 2013. A trial against Lalu was revived this year after the apex court restored corruption charges, and, on May 8, asked the CBI court to complete hearing within nine months.

As many as 38 persons were named accused in the case. However, 11 died during the trial, two became approvers and two others pleaded guilty.

The verdict on Saturday may alter the dynamics of Bihar politics as RJD is the single largest party in the Bihar Assembly.

The JD (U) and the BJP have already predicted that the fate of the RJD was doomed as its party chief faced an imminent incarceration.

However, Lalu put up a brave front and said both Nitish and the BJP have been trying hard to send him to jail. "But I won't be cowed down. Nobody can finish Lalu. My party will run even in my absence. The more the BJP and Nitish will attack me, the more my vote-bank will increase," said Lalu in Ranchi.

The RJD chief also said he has full faith in the judiciary.