New Delhi: A special CBI court in Ranchi will decide the fate of former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the Ranchi Doranda treasury case.
The Doranda treasury case, which is up for hearing in the court today is the biggest fodder scam in the country. RJD chief Lalu Prasad, has already been convicted in four similar cases and if found guilty in the current one, he might have to face jail term.
The RJD chief arrived in Ranchi on Sunday to appear in person before the special CBI judge SK Shahi. Ninety nine other co-accused in the case are also supposed to appear in the court along with Lalu Prasad.
The Doranda scam is related to the illegal withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda Treasury.
Registered in the year 1996, a total of 170 people were accused in the case. Of these, 55 have died, while seven accused have been made government witnesses by the CBI. Two accused confessed even before the court announced its verdict, while six accused are absconding till date. Verdict is still awaited on the remaining 99 accused.
Other prominent accused in the case include former MP Jagdish Sharma, Dr R K Rana, the then Animal Husbandry Secretary of Bihar, Beck Julius and Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry Department K M Prasad is included.
In the earlier four cases Lalu Prasad Yadav has been collectively awarded twenty seven years of jail term. However, in all these cases, he has got bail from the high court.
The Rs 950 crore fodder scam took place in the Animal Husbandry department of Bihar during the tenure of Prasad as the chief minister of the state. The CBI had registered 53 separate cases in 1996 to probe the scam.