Lalu Prasad Yadav pronounced guilty in Fodder scam, Mishra acquitted

Ranchi: Lalu Prasad Yadav pronounced guilty in the fourth Fodder scam (Dumka Treasury) case by special Ranchi court on Monday.

The court, however, acquitted former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.

Judge Shuvapal Singh delivered the judgment relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from December 1995 to January 1996 from the Dumka treasury. The verdict, scheduled on March 15, was deferred four times.

The judge delivered the verdict alphabetically but Lalu Prasad -- who was the Chief Minister when the wrongdoing took place -- reached the court after it was delivered. Mishra was, however, present in the court.

The hearing in the fodder case — relating to fraudulent withdrawals of Rs 3.13 crore from December 1995 to January 1996 from the Dumka treasury — was completed on March 5 and the verdict was fixed for March 15.

There were 31 accused in this case, of which 19 were convicted and 12 acquitted.

According to Lalu Prasad's lawyer, the CBI court will pronounce the quantum of sentence later.

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The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief was convicted by a special CBI court in the second case on December 23, 2017, and awarded three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment on January 6.

He was convicted in the third case on January 24, related to fraudulent withdrawals from the Chaibasa treasury, and awarded a five-year jail term.

He now faces one other case in Patna.