VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, March 16: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has lodged a money-laundering probe against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam case RC 47 A/96 worth Rs 139.35 Crores.
In February, the special CBI court of Sudhanshu Kumar Shashi had sentenced Lalu Prasad Yadav to five years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 60 lakh. The court in the judgment had given a direction to the ED to initiate a money-laundering probe against all convicts and dead accused of this case.
“Properties created from the proceeds of the crime by the convicts and dead accused persons of this case could not be identified. It may be a subject matter of investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Enforcement Directorate, if wishes so, and if law permits, may proceed for identification and confiscation of such properties/assets created by convicts or dead accused persons by the ill-gotten money. Thus, the prosecution (CBI) is directed to provide a copy of this judgment, FIR and charge-sheet, etc. of this case to the Enforcement Directorate for taking necessary action on their part,” the judgment reads.
The matter is related to the illegal withdrawal from Doranda treasury of Ranchi.
This is the third fodder scam case in which the court ordered a money-laundering probe. Out of the three cases, Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted in two cases.
The ED is also investigating two cases of fodder scam namely RC 38 A/ 96 and RC 45/96.
