Fodder Scam Case: 89 of 124 accused found guilty by CBI Special Court in Ranchi

In a significant judgement, the CBI special court located in Ranchi has delivered its verdict. It has determined that out of the 124 individuals accused in the infamous Fodder Scam, 89 are guilty. Among these 89 convicts, 52 have received sentences of under three years in prison, whereas the remaining 37 are now destined to serve imprisonment terms surpassing three years.

Ranchi (Jharkhand): In a momentous turn of events, the CBI special court situated in Ranchi has rendered its judgment, finding 89 out of the total 124 accused individuals culpable in the notorious Fodder Scam. Among the 89 individuals convicted, 52 have been handed sentences of less than three years of imprisonment, while the remaining 37 individuals face imprisonment exceeding three years.

The pivotal announcement was made on Monday within the confines of the CBI's specialized courtroom, specifically concerning the Doranda treasury withdrawal case linked to the expansive Fodder Scam. In the preceding hearings, though 124 individuals were implicated the court exonerated 35 individuals. The ongoing process of pronouncing sentences for the remaining offenders is currently underway.

It is pertinent to mention that all the accused individuals were mandatorily summoned to appear before the court of Special CBI Judge Vishal Srivastava on the designated date of August 28th. The convictions in this case are centred around illicit transactions traced back to the Doranda treasury, emblematic of the malfeasance that marred the Fodder Scam. Out of the total 124 accused, a fraction has been absolved of the charges, but the court has unequivocally found 89 individuals guilty and is now in the process of delivering sentences reflective of their crimes.

Among the accused individuals, notable figures include Lal Yadav, who had already been sentenced in the Doranda treasury case. Notably, the cohort comprises senior IAS officers and veterinary officials, a significant portion of whom have since retired, some even surpassing the age of 80. The ongoing sentencing process is a culmination of thorough judicial proceedings aimed at ensuring that those guilty of perpetrating the fraudulent acts are held accountable.

The Fodder Scam, a seminal corruption scandal, unfolded as a saga of embezzlement amounting to approximately Rs 9.4 billion from the government treasury of Bihar. Prominent figures ensnared in the web of theft and subsequently arrested included the then Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and former Chief Minister, Jagannath Mishra. This scandal instigated the downfall of Lalu's tenure as Chief Minister, significantly altering the political landscape.

The long-standing corruption was orchestrated over many years, implicating a myriad of administrative and elected officials across various administrations of political parties like the Indian National Congress and Janata Dal. The modus operandi of the scheme was rooted in the creation of fictitious livestock herds, accompanied by fabricated procurements of fodder, medications, and animal husbandry equipment. While the scandal came to light in 1996, its genesis spanned decades, steadily growing in magnitude.

Beyond the scale and duration of the theft, the Fodder Scam served as a revelation of the intricate network intertwining entrenched bureaucrats, elected politicians, and business entities. This web of corruption became emblematic of the pervasive influence of vested interests within state-run economic sectors, emblematically representing the so-called 'Mafia Raj' that had permeated multiple domains of the nation's economy.