Fodder scam: Lalu gets 5-year jail, ceases to be MP

Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and 43 others were convicted in a fodder scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.70 crore from Chaibasa district treasury.

NEW DELHI: A special CBI court has sentenced former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad to five years in jail and fined him Rs 25 lakh for his involvement in the fodder scam.

The court also sentenced former chief minister Jagannath Mishra and Janata Dal-United MP Jagdish Sharma to four years in prison each.

While Mishra was fined Rs 2 lakh, Sharma has been fined Rs 5 lakh.

Reacting to the verdict, Lalu said that he is innocent and that he would appeal in a higher court against the verdict.

Lalu has also been imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh.

Earlier, Lalu'slawyer said in the court that the RJD leader should get minimum punishment as he was a respectable person" and held a "high position in society.

Lalu Prasad, the lawyer added, also suffered from many diseases, was 67 years old and was otherwise a law abiding citizen.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, however, sought maximum punishment to show that people holding high positions cannot get away with corruption.

Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and 43 others were convicted in a fodder scam case RC 20 A/96 related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.70 crore from Chaibasa district treasury. After the division of Bihar, the district is now in Jharkhand.

The CBI court on Sep 30 convicted all the 45 accused, including Lalu Prasad, in that fodder scam case. Eight accused were sentenced to three years in prison and slapped with fine up to Rs.50 lakh.

What an irony?

Withdrawal from the treasury was Rs 37.70 crores.

The total fined imposed on the criminals is only Rs 82.00 lakhs.

That is a net loss to the government of 36.88 crores.

Why does not the government recover this amount from these people?

Why is it just satisfied with just the meagre penalty?

This has always been the case with these people charged with corruption.

They are jailed for a few years with a paltry penalty and when they come out they can enjoy the fruits of their corruption for the rest of their lives.

An inventory should be taken of all properties owned by Lalu Yadav and his family which have been bought after he became the Chief Minister of Bihar and then the Railway Minister.

The family should include his own family and all their in-laws, his brothers and sisters and their in-laws.

This inventory should be made for all the people involved in this crime. Will any party do this?

Congress? BJP?

No!

The only party which has promised to do so is the Aam Aadmi Party.

That is why I am asking all of you to usher in the AAP after the next elections.