As Lalu Faces Ninth Trip to Jail, a Glimpse at his Tainted Tenure

Lalu Prasad is likely to make his ninth trip to jail, including his third one to Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

Lalu Yadav will make his ninth trip to jail and his third to the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

(Photo: PTI)

Lalu Prasad Yadav was held guilty in the Rs 900-crore fodder scam case on 23 December. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister was convicted with 14 others accused in the case.

Seven others, including former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, were acquitted. The quantum of punishment will be announced on 3 January, Special CBI judge Shivapal Singh ruled.

During his four decade long political career, the tainted leader has been named in several cases, for which he has made frequent trips to prison. Yadav’s conviction by a special CBI court in the fodder scam would mean that the former Bihar Chief minister will make his ninth trip to jail.

Lalu’s lawyer, Chittaranjan Prasad Singh, told News18 that the leader was sent behind bars five times for cases relating to the fodder scam case. Here is a look at some of the cases he was embroiled in:

1) Fodder Case

In 1997, the RJD chief was charged under sections of the IPC for forgery, criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in connection with the fodder scam, Indian Express reported.

The CBI found irregularities worth 950 crores, after Lalu was was caught embezzling public funds out of the government treasury to shell companies for the purchase and supply of cattle fodder in Bihar. Yadav, the then Chief Minister of Bihar, was forced to resign. His wife Rabri Devi then took over as CM.

On 3 October this year, a CBI court convicted Lalu Prasad in one of the fodder scam cases – which pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from the Chaibasa treasury.

Lalu was arrested and lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, the report added. The five year-sentence led to Lalu’s disqualification from Parliament and he was banned from contesting elections. However, the apex court granted him bail within three months of his conviction.

2) Disappropriation Case

According to Indian Express, the Income Tax department had alleged that Lalu had expropriated 46 lakhs from the government treasury in 1998. Following the charge, a complaint was lodged against Lalu, while Rabri was named co-accused for abetting the crime. The couple surrendered to a CBI court in 2000.

Later, Lalu was granted bail by the Patna High Court. They were acquitted in the case in 2006.

3) IRCTC Scam

The IRCTC scam dates back to Lalu Prasad’s tenure as railway minister under UPA-I in 2004. Sujata Hotels, a private company, was given charge of maintenance and operation of two railway hotels, BNR Ranchi and Puri. The CBI had alleged that Lalu abused his position by allotting tenders to the Sujata Hotel, Indian Express reported.

As quid pro quo, CBI alleged that Rabri and son Tejashwi were given prime property in Patna at throwaway prices. Lalu had acquired premium property for Rs 1.5 crore through a benaami company, Delight Marketing Company. The company’s ownership was handed over to Rabri and Tejashwi between 2010 and 2014.

On 5 July 2016, the CBI filed a corruption case against Lalu, Rabri and Tejashwi for alleged irregularities in the allotment of contracts, Times of India reported.

The Enforcement Directorate, on 27 July, registered a separate case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act following the FIR by CBI.

In early December this year, the ED attached a three-acre plot worth Rs 44.7 crore in Patna belonging to the Yadav’s family. The property attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, is the subject of a CBI inquiry.

4) Benami Properties

On 20 June, the Income Tax department released a list of the 12 properties owned by Yadav’s relatives, Financial Express reported.

These allegedly belong to Lalu’s daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and ex-chief minister Rabri Devi, and sisters Ragini and Chanda Yadav, the report added. The attached properties also included a farmhouse in Delhi and a bungalow in New Friends Colony, ANI reported.

5) Money Laundering Cases Against Daughter Misa

According to Indian Express, it has been alleged that Lalu’s daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar were allegedly connected to a firm, Ms Mishail Printers and Packers Private Limited, which violated the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

In May, 2017, ED had arrested a Chartered Accountant associated with a company linked to Lalu’s daughter Misa Bharti in connection with an alleged money laundering to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore, Financial Express reported.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday, 23 December, filed a charge-sheet against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's daughter, Misa Bharti, and her husband in a money laundering case.

6) Case Against Son Tej

In September 2017, a case was filed by BJP MLC Suraj Nandan Prasad Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap for hiding details of land owned by him in his affidavit during the 2015 Assembly polls, the report added. In his petition, Prasad alleged Tej “deliberately hid” details of land held by him. A motor showroom is now run from the property in the name of Tej Pratap’s family’s company “LARA Distributors Pvt Ltd,” PTI reported.

(With inputs from News18, Indian Express, Financial Express)

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