Shashank Shekhar
Ranchi ( Jharkhand) : The Special CBI Court will pronounce quantitum of punishment to RJD chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 15 other convicts in Fodder Scam case RC -64A/ 96 at 2 pm on January 6, 2018, through video conferencing.
Lalu Prasad was on Januray 5 asked to appear via videoconferencing before special CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh. The RJD chief appeared before special CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh from Birsa Munda central jail, Ranchi, where he is lodged since his conviction in the case on December 23, 2017.
The CBI Special Court, which had convicted 16 accused including Lalu on December 23 last, was to pronouncement quantum of punishment on January 3, 2018, but it was deferred to January 4, then to January 5 and now January 6. Lalu, in an application, has sought leniency citing health ground including diabetes, bladder infection, and heart surgery.This is the second fodder scam case in which the RJD chief has been convicted.
CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh had on January 4, 2018, said that he had received phone calls from well-wishers of the RJD boss but did not elaborate on it. The case relates to fraudulent drawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury in Jharkhand during 1991-94. Lalu was the chief minister of Bihar from March 1990 to July 1997.
On September 30, 2013, Lalu, former CM Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in Jharkhand the early 1990s. Lalu faces three other fodder scam cases for illegal drawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda, Ranchi, Treasury.