The CBI court judge, Shiv Pal Singh on Saturday, sentenced RJD chief Lalu Prasad to imprisonment for a period of 3.5 years and imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakh in the 1996 fodder scam case. Further, the court said if he fails to pay the fine his imprisonment shall extend for a further period of six months. The other convicts- Phool Chand, Mahesh Prasad, Bake Julius, Sunil Kumar, Sushil Kumar, Sudhir Kumar and Raja Ram are also awarded jail term of 3.5 years and a fine of Rs. 5 lakh.
The CBI court on December 23 convicted Lalu Prasad and 16 other accused in the fodder scam case. However, the court had reserved its decision on the quantum of punishment for a further date. Lalu Prasad appeared before the special CBI court through video conferencing facility from Birsa Munda Central Jail where he has been lodged since his conviction.
The fodder scam case is a series of cases where the state funds meant for buying fodder were allegedly misappropriated by the government officials and politicians of Bihar. It involved a set of 64 cases, of which 53 were litigated in Ranchi. It all began in 1985 when the then Comptroller and Auditor General T.N. Chaturvedi was charged with small-scale embezzlement of funds from the Bihar Treasury and various department. Ten years later, the small-scale embezzlements added up to Rs. 900 crore.
The present case is the second out of the total six fodder scam cases registered against Lalu Prasad. He was earlier found guilty in September 2013 in another fodder case and was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of five years and a fine of 25 lakhs for the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 37.5 crore from the Chaibasa treasury. He was also disqualified from Parliament and banned from contesting elections. He was later given bail by the Supreme Court in December that year.
On Wednesday the court issued contempt notices to senior RJD leaders Raghuvansh Prasad, Shivanand Tiwari, leader of opposition Tejaswi Yadav and Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari for criticising the court verdict in the media on December 23. The judge also said that he had received phone calls from the well-wishers of RJD chief. Lalu Prasad had also moved a petition in the court seeking leniency in the punishment to be awarded to him, owing to his illness and old age.
The CBI court on December 23 convicted Lalu Prasad and 16 other accused in the fodder scam case. However, the court had reserved its decision on the quantum of punishment for a further date. Lalu Prasad appeared before the special CBI court through video conferencing facility from Birsa Munda Central Jail where he has been lodged since his conviction.
The fodder scam case is a series of cases where the state funds meant for buying fodder were allegedly misappropriated by the government officials and politicians of Bihar. It involved a set of 64 cases, of which 53 were litigated in Ranchi. It all began in 1985 when the then Comptroller and Auditor General T.N. Chaturvedi was charged with small-scale embezzlement of funds from the Bihar Treasury and various department. Ten years later, the small-scale embezzlements added up to Rs. 900 crore.
The present case is the second out of the total six fodder scam cases registered against Lalu Prasad. He was earlier found guilty in September 2013 in another fodder case and was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of five years and a fine of 25 lakhs for the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 37.5 crore from the Chaibasa treasury. He was also disqualified from Parliament and banned from contesting elections. He was later given bail by the Supreme Court in December that year.
On Wednesday the court issued contempt notices to senior RJD leaders Raghuvansh Prasad, Shivanand Tiwari, leader of opposition Tejaswi Yadav and Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari for criticising the court verdict in the media on December 23. The judge also said that he had received phone calls from the well-wishers of RJD chief. Lalu Prasad had also moved a petition in the court seeking leniency in the punishment to be awarded to him, owing to his illness and old age.
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