Lalu Prasad convicted in Rs 139-crore Doranda treasury case, fifth in fodder scam

A special CBI court on Tuesday convicted Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad in the Rs 139.5 crore Doranda treasury embezzlement case.

The quantum of punishment would be pronounced on February 18, a CBI counsel said.

The court had on January 29 completed hearing arguments in the case and reserved its verdict.

Prasad had earlier been sentenced to 14 years in jail in four other fodder scam cases.

“Lalu Prasad has been convicted. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on February 18,” the CBI counsel said.

The court of Special CBI Judge SK Shashi had completed the hearing against 99 accused including Prasad, which was under way since February last year.

Arguments on behalf of the last accused, Shailendra Kumar, were completed on January 29. All the accused had been ordered to be physically present in the court on the day of the verdict.

Of the original 170 accused in the case, 55 have died, seven have become government witnesses, two have accepted the charges against them and six are absconding.

Apart from Prasad, former MP Jagdish Sharma, the then Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Dhruv Bhagat, Animal Husbandry Secretary Beck Julius and Animal Husbandry Assistant Director KM Prasad were the main accused.

The Rs 950-crore scam relates to fraudulent withdrawal of public funds from government treasuries in various districts of undivided Bihar.