Sentencing of Lalu Prasad Yadav likely on Friday in fodder scam case

Fodder scam case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury 21 years ago.

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Ranchi: A special CBI court will likely pronounce the quantum of sentence on Friday for jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam case.

A special court on Thursday deferred the sentencing of the former Bihar CM. The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury 21 years ago.

Deferring the sentencing for the second day in a row, CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh said he would decide on Friday whether the sentence would be given over video conference or in the court.

To this, Prasad said he was for personal appearance and assured that there would be no slogans raised in the courtroom by his supporters.

The CBI court had on December 23, 2017, convicted the RJD chief and 15 others in a fodder scam case while acquitting six including another former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra. Lalu and Mishra are already convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and are out on bail.

Lalu and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict.

In a series of tweets, Lalu Prasad had attacked the BJP over his conviction, accusing the party of playing 'dirty politics' to get votes by tarnishing the image of its opponents. 

The RJD chief had said he would keep on fighting for social causes till his last breath. "To hide its failures, false rhetoric and to get votes, the BJP uses every dirty immoral trick in politics to change the public perception of its opponents," he had said.

Truth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win — Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. ....But still prevails...In the end though. — Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and caste-ist minds. No one should expect any different treatment. — Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 23, 2017

A chargesheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997, in the case. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07.

Those convicted include three former IAS officials Phoolchand Mandal, Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad.

Lalu is also facing trial in three more cases relating to the fodder scam.

(With IANS and PTI inputs)