A special CBI Court in Ranchi on Wednesday, 24 January, pronounced Lalu Prasad Yadav guilty in the third fodder scam case. He has been sentenced to five years in prison. The court also convicted former chief minister Jagannath Mishra in the case, and he too was sentenced to five years imprisonment.
Special Court Judge SS Prasad delivered the judgment in the case, which is related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 33.67 crore from Chaibasa treasury in 1992-1993.
Speaking minutes after the RJD supremo’s conviction, Lalu’s son, Tejashwi Yadav, slammed the government, calling the verdict a “conspiracy.”
Party leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh too said that the fight against the government would continue, and that they would get justice.
In all, there are 56 accused, including former chief secretary of Jharkhand Sajal Chakraborty. Sajjal was deputy commissioner of West Singhbhum district when the alleged fraudulent withdrawal had taken place.
This is the third case in which Lalu Yadav and Jagannth Mishra are accused.
Currently, Lalu Yadav is in Birsa Munda Central Jail of Ranchi, as he was awarded a three-and-a-half year sentence on 6 January this year in a fodder scam relating to fraudulent withdrawal from Deoghar treasury.
Lalu Yadav was first convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and was awarded five years' imprisonment then too.
(With inputs from IANS)
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