Fodder scam verdict: RJD chief Lalu Prasad held guilty, sent to jail

Seventeen years after illegal withdrawals worth Rs.37.70 crore was detected from Chaibasa treasury in Jharkhand, the law finally caught up with the then Chief Minister of Bihar; Lalu Prasad and 45 other accused with a Special CBI court in Ranchi on Monday convicting them for facilitating the fraudulent transfer of public money. The quantum on sentence against him will be pronounced on October 3.

The amount was withdrawn from Chaibasa treasury by Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) officials on the basis of fake bills and vouchers procured and processed in connivance with suppliers, senior bureaucrats and politicians from 1992 to 1996.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav

The high profile trial this morning ended with Lalu's conviction as judge Pravash Kumar Singh held the 65-year-old Member of Parliament from Saran "guilty" behind the scam that grabbed nation-wide notice for its scope and brazenness.

In addition to his conviction, Lalu also stands to lose his Lok Sabha membership in the light of an earlier Supreme Court's order that barred convicted members of Parliament and state legislatures from completing their terms. Lalu Prasad is now left with limited options. Legally, he is sure to challenge the verdict in the higher court. However, it is extremely unlikely for him to get any reprieve before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, which is barely eight months away. Lalu Prasad is likely to field his eldest daughter Misa from Saran Lok Sabha constituency.

Lalu Prasad arrives in court.

On political front, Lalu Prasad is already speaking about passing the baton to his son Tejaswi Yadav, which can cause some heartburn in his party. Tejaswi, 24, just cannot lead a party where veterans like Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Jagadanand Singh, Prabhunath Singh and Ramkirpal Yadav are Members of Parliament. The biggest challenge for RJD is to keep the party intact in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, which is also known as the opportune time for shifting allegiance.

The convicts have been held guilty of conspiracy, misconduct by public servant, abuse of official position, forgery, and cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to public exchequer which the offenders were bound to protect.