New Delhi: A special CBI court in Ranchi has convicted former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the Doranda treasury case.
The court will announce the quantum of punishment to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on February 21.
Twenty four other accused in the case have been acquitted by the court, while thirty five others have been awarded jail term of less than three years by judge S K Shashi.
The Ranchi Doranda treasury scam is related to the illegal withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda treasury, and is the biggest fodder scam of the country.
In 1996, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a case in the Doranda fodder scam in which 170 people were accused by the agency. Of these, 55 died, while seven were made government witnesses by the CBI. Two accused confessed before the court announced its verdict, while six accused are absconding till date. Verdict on the 99 other accused was awaited.
Along with Lalu Prasad, 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 were accused in the Doranda Treasury case.
Lalu Prasad Yadav was awarded twenty seven years of jail term in the earlier four cases -Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries. However, he later secured bail from the Patna High Court in all the cases.
The Rs 950 crore fodder scam took place in the Animal Husbandry department of Bihar while the RJD chief was the chief minister of the state. The CBI had registered 53 separate cases in 1996 to probe the scam.
This is Breaking News... Pleas refresh Page for more updates