Sentence pronouncement on Oct 3
Ranchi: Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad on Monday suffered a major blow when a special CBI court convicted him in a 17-year-old fodder scam case of corruption that disqualifies him from Parliament and will keep him out of electoral arena for at least six years.
Also convicted was a sitting JD(U) MP from Jahanabad Jagadish Sharma, who becomes the third MP to be disqualified in the wake of a Supreme Court judgement striking down a provision in the electoral law that deferred immediate disqualification of lawmakers on conviction.
Less than a fortnight ago, former Union Health Minister and sitting Rajya Sabha member Rasheed Masood was convicted in a corruption case and faces disqualification.
Another 43 accused, including former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, five politicians and four IAS officers, were also convicted by the court of Pravas Kumar Singh for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury. The court fixed October three for pronouncement of sentence against Yadav, Mishra and others. Convicted under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC for cheating, forgery, fraudulently destroying a will and criminal conspiracy, Yadav faces maximum of 10 years in jail.
While BJP and JD(U), rivals of RJD in Bihar, welcomed the judgement, its ally Congress merely said the law has taken its course. JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a one time associate of Lalu, declined to comment on the judgement. The RJD said they would challenge the judgement while party leaders said they would discuss the strategy to steer the party in the absence of Prasad.
The 65-year-old Prasad declined to react to the judgement. He appeared calm while his car sped away to the Birsa Munda Central Jail on the outskirts of Ranchi.
The court sentenced IAS officer K Arumugam, former Bihar AHD and Labour Minister Vidya Sagar Nishad and former MLA Dhruv Bhagat and five fodder suppliers for up to three years.
Earlier, Prasad, appeared relaxed and waved to his party supporters. He sat in the second row in the court room as the judge began reading out the judgement against him.
The RJD chief, elected from Saran in Bihar and Sharma face immediate disqualification as Lok Sabha members under a recent Supreme Court order that an MP stands disqualified if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more. (PTI)