Ranchi (Jharkhand): Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Friday granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in the Chaibasa Treasury case related to the fodder scam. The case involves fraudulent withdrawals amounting to Rs 33.67 crores from the Chaibasa treasury in undivided Bihar when he was the Chief Minister
However, the RJD Supremo will continue to remain in jail as he is serving time in another case related to Dumka treasury. His supporters are eagerly waiting for his release in view of the ensuing Bihar Assembly polls. It is not yet clear whether Lalu Prasad Yadav will be able to actively participate in the elections or not.
Dheeraj Kumar, an advocate at the High Court, said that the court agreed to grant bail to Yadav in the case, as he had already spent 30 months in jail - half of his sentence period of five years. He has spent two and a half years in jail and his health is not also good. Hence, he should be granted bail. The CBI opposed his bail plea, but the court did not accept the reasoning of the investigating agency. Accepting the bail plea, the court asked him to deposit the surety of Rs 2 lakh in the court. Kumar told ETV Bharat that he is completing half of the sentencing in the Dumka case on November 9. Accordingly, the bail plea will be filed in this case well. Thereafter, he will be able to walk out from the jail.
Lalu Prasad Yadav has been in the Birsa Munda Central Jail, Ranchi since December 23, 2017. He is currently undergoing treatment at the RIMS due to poor health. Lalu Yadav is suffering from many ailments including sugar, high blood pressure, and heart and kidney-related problems. Since the corona patients are being treated at the RIMS, Lalu Prasad Yadav has been kept in the Kelly Bungalow, the residence of RIMS director. In view of the Bihar assembly elections, a large number of vehicles bearing the registrations of Bihar can be seen heading towards the Kelly Bungalow. His supporters also wait for hours with the hope to meet their leader. It will be known only after November 9 when the wait for his supporters comes to an end and Lalu Prasad Yadav steps out of the jail.
READ: Paswan's death a game-changer in Bihar polls?
FODDER SCAM DETAILS
The then Deputy Commissioner of West Singhbhum district Amit Khare raided the office of Animal Husbandry Department on January 27, 1996 during after which it came to the notice that the firms which received payment against the supply of fodder did not exist. The subsequent investigations revealed that around Rs 950 crore were illegally withdrawn from different treasuries. The undivided Bihar was ruled by RJD which mounted pressure on the then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, claiming that such a huge scam could not take place without the complicity of the government machinery. With huge outcry for an unbiased investigation, on March 11, 1996, the Patna High Court ordered the transfer of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
After the investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet against 55 people including Lalu Prasad Yadav under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with forgery, criminal conspiracy and different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. On July 27, 1997, Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav resigned and on July 30, he surrendered before the special court of the CBI. After Jharkhand was carved out of undivided Bihar, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Ranchi High Court on October 5, 2001. On September 30, 2013, the CBI special court judge Pravash Kumar Singh held 45 people guilty in the case along with former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and Lalu Prasad Yadav. There are four cases related to the fodder scam registered against Lalu Prasad Yadav. He has been convicted and sentenced in three cases. The sentences in all three cases are going on simultaneously. Here are the details of the fodder scam cases:
CASE NUMBER 1
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore and Rs 33.67 crore from Chaibasa treasury
* The sentence was pronounced on October 3, 2013
* In both the cases, Lalu Prasad Yadav was jailed for 5 years each
* On October 9, 2020, he gets bail from the High Court
CASE NUMBER 2
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 84.53 lakh from Deoghar treasury
* The sentence was pronounced on December 23, 2017
* Lalu Prasad Yadav gets 3.6 years jail term
* He gets bail from High Court on July 12, 2019
CASE NUMBER 3
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury
* The sentence was pronounced on March 24, 2018
* Lalu Prasad Yadav gets 7-7 year jail under two sections and Rs 60 lakh fine
* He will apply for bail after November 9, 2020
CASE NUMBER 4
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 139 crore from Doranda treasury
* The case is being heard in the Special CBI Court
* The matter is in the court of Special Judge SK Shashi
Read: RJD leaders named in FIR over expelled leader's killing
