CBI court convicts Lalu Prasad in Rs 139 cr Doranda treasury case

 

 

 

 

A SPECIAL CBI court on Tuesday convicted RJD supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in the Rs 139.5 crore Doranda treasury embezzlement case, the fifth and final case against him in the fodder scam. The ailing 73-year-old politician will be lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi after his plea to be admitted to the State-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences on medical grounds was rejected by the court of CBI Judge Sudhanshu Kumar Shashi. Prasad, who was present in the court, was taken into custody and arguments on the quantum of his sentence will be heard on February 21.

 

The CBI counsel had earlier said the court will hear the arguments on sentence on February 18. Welcoming the court’s decision, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, one of the petitioners in the fodder scam matter in the Patna High Court, said justice has finally been served to those who “pushed the State into darkness” for 15 years. Prasad had earlier been sentenced to 14 years in jail in four other fodder scam cases. The final case was related to withdrawals of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda treasury during his tenure as the Chief Minister of undivided Bihar. “Of the 99 accused in the case, 24 were acquitted, while three-year jail terms have been pronounced for 34 accused. A total of 41 convicts have been sent to prison,” CBI counsel BMP Singh told PTI. On Prasad’s plea, directions were given to the jail superintendent and RIMS director to take necessary action keeping in mind his health, he said. The ebullient leader suffers from multiple ailments, including renal problems.

 

The CBI had examined 575 witnesses in the case, and filed chargesheet against 170 people. However, only 99 accused including Prasad faced trial which had commenced in 1996. In the course of the 22-year-long trial, 55 accused died, while eight turned Government approvers. As many as six accused are still absconding. Prasad was accompanied to the court by his daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti. Many RJD leaders and workers also thronged the court premises. Special CBI Judge Sudhanshu Kumar Shashi had on January 29 completed the hearing. All the accused were ordered to be physically present in the court on the day of the verdict. Apart from Prasad, former MP Jagdish Sharma, the then Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Dhruv Bhagat, Animal Husbandry Secretary Beck Julius and Animal Husbandry Assistant Director Dr K M Prasad were the main accused. Reacting to the development, Sushil Kumar Modi said no accused can be saved if there is solid evidence against them.