VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Feb. 21: Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has been awarded 5 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 60 lakh in a fodder scam case RC 47 A/96. The case is related to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 139.35 Crores from the Doranda treasury of Ranchi during 1995-96.
The special CBI court of Sudhanshu Kumar Shashi of Ranchi court also pronounced the quantum of punishment to 39 other convicts of this case. Sentencing was pronounced through video conferencing. Lalu Prasad Yadav and Dr. Krishna Mohan Prasad are currently under treatment at RIMS in Ranchi. Senior lawyer Prabhat Kumar who appeared on behalf of Lalu Prasad requested the court for a lighter punishment considering his age and ailments. Prabhat Kumar said that Lalu Prasad has already suffered very much by fighting a prolonged legal battle in the fodder scam case.
On February 15, the Special Judge had convicted Lalu Prasad and 74 other accused including former MLAs, former Secretary of Government of Bihar, then Commissioner of Income Tax, then AHD officials, veterinary doctors; proprietors of private companies, and other private persons. The court had acquitted 24 accused from all charges.
On that day the trial court had sentenced 35 convicts to three years of rigorous imprisonment with varying amounts of fine under relevant sections of IPC and others. The court fixed February 21 to pronounce the judgment of the remaining 40 convicts.
These 40 convicts are Lalu Prasad Yadav, Dr. Rabindra Kumar Rana (then MLA, Bihar Assembly), Beck Julius (Secretary, AHD) Mahendra Prasad (Treasury Officer, Doranda Treasury), Devendra Prasad Srivastva, (Treasury Officer, Doranda Treasury), Dr. Radha Raman Sahay (Drawing and Disbursing Officer), Krishna Mohan Prasad (Assistant Director AHD), Junul Bhengraj (Regional Director) Dr. Gauri Shankar Prasad, Dr. Ram Prakash Ram, Dr. Jaswant Sahay, Dr. Rabindra Kumar Singh, Dr. Prabhat Kumar Sinha, Dr. Laliteshwar Prasad Yadav, Dr. Krishna Bihari Lal, Dr. Ajit Kumar, Dr. Chander Kishore Lal, Dr. Birsa Oraon, Dr. Shiv Nandan Prasad, Dr. Arjun Sharma, Dr. Mukesh Kumar Srivastava, Dr. Braj Nandan Prasad Verma, Dr. Nalini Ranjan Prasad Sinha, Nitya Nand Kumar Singh, Ravi Nandan Kumar Sinha, Md. Sayeed, Jagmohan Lal Kakkar, Mohinder Singh Bedi, Dayanand Prasad Kashyap, Suresh Kumar Dubey, Umesh Dubey, Satyendra Kumar Mehra, Rajesh Mehra, Dr. Bijayeshwari Prasad Sinha, Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Bal Krishna Sharma, Dr. Ajit Kumar Verma, Ravi Kumar Mehra, Mahendra Kumar Kundan, Rajendra Kumar.
CBI had taken over the investigation of this case in March 1996. It was alleged that during the period between 1990-91 and 1995-96, then AHD officials in conspiracy with unscrupulous suppliers and others withdrew and misappropriated a sum of Rs. 182.82 crore (approx.) from Doranda Treasury under the pretext of making payment to the suppliers, who submitted spurious, bogus bills falsely showing the supply of feed, fodder, vet. medicines etc. It was further alleged that the amount, so withdrawn, was eventually misappropriated.
