Lalu Prasad Yadav
Lalu convicted in 5th fodder scam case: A special CBI court will pronounce its verdict in the Rs 139.35 crore Doranda treasury embezzlement case on Tuesday, deciding the fate of Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad. Prasad, who has already been convicted in four other cases of the fodder scam, is also an accused in the fifth and final case.
Of the original 170 accused in the case, 55 have died, seven have become government witnesses, two have accepted the charges against them and six are absconding.
The Rs 950-crore scam relates to fraudulent withdrawal of public funds from government treasuries in various districts of undivided Bihar.
Here’s a timeline of events:
1996
January: The fodder scam is unearthed after deputy commissioner of Chaibasa, Amit Khare, raids the Animal Husbandry Department.
March: Patna high court asks CBI to investigate the fodder scam. CBI registers FIR in the Chaibasa (in undivided Bihar) Treasury case.
1997
June: CBI files chargesheet names Lalu Prasad as one of the accused.
July: Lalu Prasad quits as chief minister, anoints Rabri Devi as CM. Surrenders before CBI court. Sent to judicial custody.
2000
April: Rabri Devi too named as accused in the case but is granted bail.
2001
October: Supreme Court transfers case to Jharkhand HC after Bihar’s bifurcation.
2002
February: Trial begins in Special CBI court in Jharkhand.
2006
December: A Patna lower court acquits Lalu Prasad and Rabri in disproportionate assets case.
2012
March: Charges framed against Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra.
2013
September: Lalu Prasad, Mishra and 45 others convicted in another fodder scam case. Lalu sent to Ranchi jail and disqualified as Lok Sabha member; debarred from contesting elections.
December: Supreme Court grants bail to Lalu Prasad.
2017
May: Trial revives after Supreme Court order on 8 May. Apex court asks lower court to separately try them in Deoghar Treasury case.
December: CBI special court finds Lalu Prasad and 17 others guilty. Prasad now stands convicted in 2 out of 6 cases.
