Patna: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Wednesday sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad to five years jail in the third fodder scam case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 336.75 million (Dh19.35 million) from a local treasury. He was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1million. Lalu is already serving jail term in another fodder scam case.
The court of Justice SS Prasad handed out the punishment shortly after it convicted Lalu in the case earlier in the day along with another former Bihar chief minister Dr Jagannath Mishra.
Dr Mishra, too, was handed out a five-year jail sentence. The court convicted a total of 50 accused people in the case.
This is the second biggest setback for Dr Mishra in the past three days as he had lost his wife Veena Mishra, 78, earlier this week. She died after prolonged illness at a hospital in Delhi where she was undergoing treatment.
The case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 336.75 million from Chaibasa district treasury during 1992-93. Chaibasa district which now falls under Jharkhand state was then a part of Bihar.
Initially, 76 people were accused. Of them, 14 died during the course of trial, three turned approvers and two pleaded guilty while one accused has been absconding.
Lalu’s son, Tejashwi Yadav, said they were disappointed by the judgement but hoped to get justice from higher courts.
“This is not the final judgement.… We have already been acquitted in a disproportionate assets case by the higher court,” Tejashwi told the media on Wednesday.
He added he would move the “people’s court” to seek justice and the common masses had made up their mind in this regard. He accused the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP),the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) of hatching a conspiracy to put the RJD chief in jail under political motive.
“They are planning to conduct Lok Sabha elections around December 2018 in Lalu Prasad’s absence. You know the BJP has been making poll preparations. Its leader Bhupendra Yadav came to Bihar earlier this week to hold meeting. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is already touring Bihar. What does this indicate?” Tejashwi asked.
He alleged there is strong resentment among the masses over the way Lalu is being treated. He also explained why the masses are angry. “The man who was voted to power is in jail while those [the BJP] who were given the mandate to sit in the opposition have grabbed power through back door,” he said.
Earlier this month, the RJD president was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail in another fodder scam. Lalu is currently lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.