Fodder scam | Dumka treasury case: Lalu Prasad Yadav convicted, Jagannath Mishra acquitted

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad was convicted by a special CBI court in the fourth fodder scam case while another former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra was acquitted.

CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh held guilty the 69-year-old RJD chief along with 18 others while Mishra was among 12 acquitted in connection with the case RC 38 A/96 pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury in the early 1990s.

The case relates to alleged withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from the Dumka treasury over two decades ago. 

Apart from Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra, 29 others including former IAS officers and animal husbandry officials were accused in the Dumka Treasury case. Prasad had already been convicted in three fodder scam cases while Mishra was convicted in two fodder scam cases.

The charges against the convicted persons are 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (misappropriation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), 477A/IPC and section 13 (2) with 13 (i) c &d of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (misuse of official position for pecuniary advantage by the public servant and others).

Emerging out of the court, Prasad told reporters he did not wish to make any comment, while party Vice President Raghubansh Prasad Singh said that they would challenge the order in the high court.

The RJD supremo was convicted on September 30, 2013 in the RC 20A/96 case of Chaibasa pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore in the 1990s. He got five years prison term in the case following which he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha and barred from contesting elections for six years after completion of jail term.           

There were a total of 47 accused in the fourth fodder scam. Fourteen of them had died during the course of a trial while two turned approvers.

A special CBI court on January 24 sentenced Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra to five years in jail in a fodder scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.62 crore from the Chaibasa treasury.

Judge Shivpal Singh was scheduled to pronounce the verdict on Thursday (March 15) but then shifted it for Saturday before again postponing it to Monday as 42 judges from across the state are participating in a two-day training programme being conducted at the judicial academy here. 

Lalu Yadav, who was likely to skip the hearing as he is being treated for chest pain in the cardiology department of Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), has left the medical facility for the court.