Jharkhand HC admits CBI appeal to increase RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s sentence in Deoghar scam

The Jharkhand High Court on 9 July, Wednesday, admitted an appeal by the CBI for increasing the sentence given to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, a convict in the fodder scam.

Prasad was convicted in the fodder scam case related to the Deoghar treasury for defalcation of Rs 89 lakh.

A special CBI court had also convicted five others in the case. They were Beck Julius, R.K. Rana, Fulchand Singh, Mahesh Prasad and Subir Bhattacharya.

All the convicts were sentenced to undergo 3.5 years of imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh each.

Besides Prasad, the CBI has also sought the enhancement of the sentence for Beck Julius and Subir Bhattacharya.

The other convicts — R.K. Rana, Fulchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad — have died pursuant to their conviction in 2018.

Being the chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav also held the portfolio of the finance department and was aware of fake withdrawals in the garb of inflated bills of veterinary feed and medicines, according to the CBI.

The Deoghar treasury had recorded a withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh, according to the investigation conducted by the CBI.

The CBI moved the appeal against the order of the special court, stating that Prasad was instrumental and was overall in-charge of the animal husbandry department at that time.

"Investigation had revealed that he was aware of the defalcation done in the Deoghar treasury. Yet the lower court only awarded a sentence of 3.5 years for the offence, which carries a maximum sentence of 7 years," said CBI counsel Deepak Bharti.

Jharkhand was part of Bihar when the alleged irregularities had taken place.