Lalu moves HC against conviction in fodder case, seeks bail

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in jail following his conviction in the fodder scam, moved the Jharkhand high court on Thursday against the Central Bureau of Investigation court's judgement which found him guilty.

The RJD chief, who has been ordered rigorous imprisonment for five years by the CBI court, appealed against the verdict through his counsel and also sought bail.

“We have filed a petition in the high court against the conviction, seeking bail, pleading stay on sentence and penalty (fine amount),” Yadav’s counsel Chitaranjan said.

Prasad was also fined Rs 25 lakh by the CBI court.

Besides Yadav, the CBI court of Pravas Kumar Singh had on September 30 convicted another former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra and 43 others for fraudulently drawing Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury during the RJD regime in the 1990s.

The lower court had pronounced varying prison sentences between three and five years, besides imposing fines in the RC (regular case) 20A/96 case.

Eight of the convicts got bail by the CBI court the day when they were convicted.

Yadav is also facing charges in four other fodder cases -- RC 38A/96, RC 47A/96, RC 64A/96 and RC 68A/96.

Out 53 cases lodged by the CBI in the Rs 950 crore animal husbandry department scam, popularly known as fodder scam, 45 cases were ended in convictions by different CBI courts.

Image: Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav