Lalu gets five years imprisonment in third fodder scam case

Former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad and Dr Jagannath Mishra were on Wednesday sentenced to five years in prison in the third fodder scam case by special CBI court in Ranchi.

Special CBI court judge S S Prasad delivered the judgment in the case, which is related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.67 crore from Chaibasa treasury in 1992-1993.

Lalu was found guilty in the Chaibasa treasury case RC 68A/96 under Sections 120 (B), 409, 420, 468, 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Dr Mishra, whose wife Veena Mishra passed away in New Delhi on Monday, was not present in the court when he was convicted by the CBI judge SS Prasad on Wednesday.

Altogether 76 persons, including two former CMs and three IAS officers (now retired), were named accused in this case. However, 14 died during the trial, three others turned approvers (CBI witnesses), two pleaded guilty while one accused is absconding.

Of the remaining 56 accused, six persons were acquitted by the CBI court on Wednesday.

Lalu was earlier convicted in another fodder scam case 64A/96 on December 23 and has been cooling his heels in the high-security Birsa Munda jail in Jharkhand's capital. Prior to this, he was convicted in September 2013 which led to his disqualification from Lok Sabha and a ban on his contesting polls.

Lalu has been named as an accused in five different fodder scam cases in Jharkhand and one in Bihar. The trial is on in the remaining cases.

Reacting on the verdict, Lalu's youngest son and former deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav said, "The judgement has been pronounced by the CBI court. This is not the final verdict. We will appeal in the High Court for relief. But one thing is for sure: The way Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar have joined hands to portray only Lalu ji as a corrupt leader in the country, may backfire on those opposed to the RJD."