Bihar’s Former CMs Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra & 48 Others Convicted In Fodder Scam, Sentenced To Five Yrs

This is the third case related to fodder scam in which Lalu Prasad has been convicted. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in a case related to fraudulent withdrawal from the Deoghar treasury on December 23, 2017.

Former chief ministers of Bihar Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra and 48 others, including politicians, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and suppliers, on Wednesday were convicted in a fodder scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal of money from Chaibasa treasury.They were sentenced to Five years imprisonment

Special CBI judge SS Prasad convicted Lalu, Jagannath and others under sections 120 B, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 477 (A) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13 (2) and 13 (1d) of the Prevention of Corruption  Act.

Lalu Prasad has been sentenced to five years each under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act and fined a total amount of Ra 10 lakhs. The judge sentenced him to five-year rigorous (RI) imprisonment and fined five lakh rupees under sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 477 A of Indian Penal Code.  He would have to undergo additional one year of simple imprisonment in case of default in payment of fine. He has been convicted to five years RI and fined five lakhs rupees under section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He would have to serve one more year in prison In case of non-payment of fine. All the sentences shall run concurrently and the period undergone in the prison shall be set off. The former chief minister Jagannath Mishra has been awarded the same sentence in the case

Among the convicted person are politicians Vidya Sagar Nishad, Jagdish Sharma, Dhruv Bhagat, and Ravindra Kumar Rana. The convicted IAS officers are Sajal Chakravarty, Phulchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad.

The remaining persons, consisting mostly of suppliers, have been convicted under various sections of IPC.

This is the third case related to fodder scam in which Lalu Prasad has been convicted. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in a case related to fraudulent withdrawal from the Deoghar treasury on December 23, 2017.

“The court has convicted 50 accused and acquitted six in the case. The acquitted mainly consist mostly of doctors and suppliers in the case,” said the defense lawyer Sanjay Kumar.

There were 76 accused in the case, out of whom 56 were charge-sheeted. Fifteen accused died in course of the trial, two admitted to their crime and three turned into prosecution witness. The CBI had registered the case in August 1996.