Ranchi (Jharkhand): A special CBI court in Ranchi Monday sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years in prison and imposed Rs 60 lakh fine on him in the fifth case related to the infamous Rs 950 crore fodder scam. Lalu was declared guilty along with 39 others on February 15 and the court was scheduled to announce the quantum of the sentence today. Lalu was found guilty under Sections 120B, 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 477A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 13 (1), 13 (2)C of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The latest case pertains to Rs 139.5 crore Doranda treasury embezzlement related to the fodder scam during 1990-96. Lalu has now been convicted in all five cases related to the scam. The court pronounced the sentence after virtually hearing arguments on the quantum of the sentence. An unwell Lalu attended the proceedings virtually. After his conviction in the case on February 15, the 73-year old former Bihar chief minister was lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail and then shifted to state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
Reacting to the sentence, former Union Minister and Congress General Secretary Tariq Anwar said it was a "big setback" to Lalu Yadav's political career. "The court has given its judgment. Lalu ji will use the legal remedies available to him but one thing is for sure that this verdict is a setback for him," Anwar told ETV Bharat. About the supporters of Lalu claiming his innocence and accusing BJP of targeting him, Anwar said: "It is a matter of discussion but it is also true that these judgments are a big question mark on his career and future."
RJD national spokesperson Naval Kishor last week had said that the party will approach the higher court against the verdict after the court announces the quantum of the sentence. "We will approach the High Court or Supreme Court where we will definitely get justice. On the basis of the same evidence, Lalu ji was convicted in four cases of fodder scam and on the similar evidence he got convicted in the fifth evidence, we don't want to comment on court's decision but every effort was made to implicate Lalu ji as part of a conspiracy against him," he said.
The RJD supremo is also under the radar of the Enforcement Directorate, which has registered a case under the Money Laundering Act while taking over two cases related to the fodder scam of the CBI. The two cases that the ED has taken over include illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.76 crore from the Deoghar treasury and illegal withdrawal of Rs 34.91 crore from the Dumka treasury. In these cases, the special CBI court had sentenced all the accused on March 19, 2018, and April 9, 2018.
Earlier in April last year, the Jharkhand High Court had granted bail to Lalu in the case of fraudulent withdrawal from Dumka Treasury, one of the cases related to the fodder scam for which he was convicted. He had already been granted bail in the Chaibasa Treasury Scam case in October 2020, and in the Deoghar Treasury Scam case in February 2020.
Speaking to the media after the verdict, Lalu Prasad's lawyer Advocate Prabhat Kumar said, "He (Lalu Yadav) has been pronounced a maximum 5 years of imprisonment and rs 60 lakhs fine. His half sentence custody is already served, and therefore there is a fair chance that he will be able to secure a bail within the next two months." Kumar also informed that he plans to file an appeal in the High Court and challenge the verdict delivered today.
Also read: Fodder scam: Nitish Kumar 'shocked' by Priyanka Gandhi's support for Lalu Yadav
