Fodder scam: Lalu sentenced to 7-years jail in Dumka-treasury case
Today, a special CBI court in Ranchi pronounced a prison sentence of 7 years for embattled RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fourth fodder scam case involving the Dumka treasury. He will also have to pay a fine of Rs. 30 lakh. On March 19, Judge Shiv Pal Singh had held him and 18 others guilty and acquitted 12 accused, including former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra. Here's more.
What is the fodder scam?
About two decades have passed since the fodder scam was unearthed. In 1985, the then-CAG TN Chaturvedi noticed a delay in monthly account submissions and false expense reports from Bihar. It was later found that politicians and bureaucrats who belonged to successive administrations had systematically embezzled money in the name of purchasing livestock feed. Sixty-four such cases have surfaced till now.
What is Lalu's role in the scams?
After the scam unraveled, a CBI enquiry ascertained Lalu's role. Following prosecution proceedings, Yadav was convicted in the first case in 2013 and given five years' jail term. He was held guilty of fraudulently withdrawing Rs. 89.27L from the Deoghar treasury in December'17 and sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment. In January'18, he got five years' jail term for looting Rs. 33.67cr from the Chaibasa treasury.
Are there any more cases pending against Lalu?
Notably, Yadav has been in Ranchi's Birsa Munda jail since December 23 after conviction in the Deoghar case. The Dumka case pertains to illegal withdrawal of Rs. 3.13cr. Another case regarding withdrawal of Rs. 139cr from the Doranda treasury is pending.
Meanwhile, Lalu made a surprise appearance on conviction day
Initially, it was reported that Lalu would probably remain absent as he was admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi. He had taken ill on March 17 and was under observation in the hospital's cardiology ward. However, as his condition had stabilized, he attended the court proceedings. So, as skeletons tumble out, the fodder scam could signal Lalu's undoing.
