Lalu Yadav Sentenced to 3.5 Years in Jail in Fodder Scam Case

Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was sentenced to three-and-a half-years in jail by a Ranchi court on Saturday in the fodder scam case.

Lalu, along with 15 others, was convicted in the case on December 23 and has been lodged in the Birsa Munda jail since then. The court had acquitted six others, including another former Bihar chief minister, Jagannath Mishra.

The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury 21 years ago. The sentence will be pronounced via video conferencing even as Lalu had assured the court on Thursday that he was ready to appear in person. He had also assured the special CBI court judge Shiv Pal Singh that there would be no slogans raised in the courtroom by his supporters.

Ahead of sentencing, RJD held a press conference. Party leader Tejashwi Yadav said that BJP and Nitish Kumar are playing negative politics. He also said that people who were creating an atmosphere to scare him can see now that he will neither be scared nor turn away from him ideology.