Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted, along with 75 others, in connection to the fifth and final fodder scam case today. His punishment would be declared on February 21.
The CBI special judge SK Shashi also acquitted 24 accused, including 6 women for insufficient evidence.
The CBI had filed a total of 170 charge sheets in connection to 950-crore scam of fraudulent withdrawal of public funds from government treasuries in various districts of undivided Bihar.
While 99 currently face trial, 55 accused including former Bihar Chief Minister Dr. Jagannath Mishra have died, seven have become government witnesses, two have accepted the charges against them and six are absconding.
The RJD supremo, who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison and slapped with a total fine of Rs 60 lakh, has secured bail in the four cases related to Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries. Jharkhand High Court granted bail to Lalu Prasad Yadav in April 2021 in connection to the Dumka Treasury fodder scam case and he finally walked out of jail. Yadav was housed in Birsa Munda Central Jail since 2017 after his conviction in the fodder scam cases and several others.
The fodder scam came to light in January 1996 after a raid at the Animal Husbandry Department. The CBI named Prasad as an accused in June 1997. The agency framed charges against Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra. In September 2013, the trial court convicted Prasad, Mishra and 45 others in one of the cases related to the fodder scam and Prasad was imprisoned in Ranchi jail. In December 2013, Supreme Court granted bail to Prasad in the case while in December 2017, the CBI court found him and 15 others guilty and sent them to Birsa Munda prison.
