Fodder scam: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav sentenced to 5 years imprisonment, Rs 60 lakh fine

Ranchi (Jharkhand): A special CBI court on Monday sentenced former Bihar chief minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 60 lakh on him in connection with the fifth fodder scam case.

Advertisment

The sentence was pronounced by the court after virtually hearing arguments on the quantum of the sentence for those convicted in the case last week.

After his conviction on February 15, the 73-year old politician was lodged earlier in the Birsa Munda Central Jail and then shifted to state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

The case pertains to the illegal withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda treasury in Jharkhand during 1995-96 for a fictitious expenditure on fodder and other requirements for cattle during Lalu's term as Bihar chief minister.

Reacting to the development, a representative from his legal team said, "We will appeal in the high court. As per our calculations, half the sentence has been completed."

Among the 99 accused in the Doranda treasury case, 24 were acquitted while 46 others were awarded three years of jail terms last week.

Earlier, Lalu was sentenced to 14 years in jail in four other cases related to Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries in Jharkhand. 

On September 30, 2013, the Chaibasa Treasury case was the first in which the former chief minister was jailed at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi and was disqualified as MP for six years. But he was released on bail just two-and-a-half months after his conviction. Since then, he has been sentenced in other cases of the fodder scam. (With agency inputs)