RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. Express Photo by Alok Jain.
Hearing on the quantum of punishment of former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in a fodder scam case concluded on Friday before a special CBI court here. The arguments on the same of five other convicts also concluded today. The arguments on quantum of punishment for the six remaining convicts will be completed on Saturday.
For the first time in this case, the hearing was conducted through a video-conferencing facility. This will be used on Saturday as well.
Apart from Yadav, the other four convicts, whose arguments were heard today, were R K Rana, Mahesh Prasad, R R Joshi and Phool Chandra Singh. Barring Joshi and Yadav, all the other accused were senior IAS officials. Joshi was a supplier. Also Read: Calls made to CBI judge not from partymen, clarifies RJD
Lalu Prasad Yadav, along with 15 others, was convicted last year on December 23 in connection with RC-64/96, pertaining to alleged withdrawal of funds, using fraudulent methods, to the tune of Rs 89 lakhs from Deogarh Treasury between 1990 and 1994 when he was the chief minister of Bihar.
The court had, on Thursday, heard the arguments of the five convicts. The arguments of the remaining convicts were to be heard on Friday.
Yadav’s counsel Prabhat Kumar said: “We have appealed for minimum possible punishment on grounds of health, age and the fact that he has been contesting the case for over 20 years.”
Kumar added that his 70-year-old client has undergone a heart surgery and was also a diabetes patient. “Also, we have submitted that he has already undergone incarceration of around one year in this particular case,” he said.
The counsel for CBI, however, pressed for maximum punishment.
Earlier, the court allowed the request by three senior IAS officials for an upgrade to Upper Division jail. Besides, it had also directed jail authorities to provide all possible amenities to Yadav, who had told the court that he was feeling cold inside. Also Read: Lalu Yadav tells court ‘it’s cold in jail’, judge says then ‘play tabla’
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Raja IyerJan 5, 2018 at 5:26 pmSnatched a mobile 5 years imprisonment. Loot loot and loot go Scot free after all 1760000000000 is zero valueReply- Narasimha PrakashJan 5, 2018 at 5:09 pmGive him a lighter sentence of life imprisonment as against death sentence.Reply
- RAMACHANDRAN VJan 5, 2018 at 4:35 pmOnly max punishment will deter other politicians from looting public money. He had the atrocity to loot treasuryReply
- Damodar BiswalJan 5, 2018 at 3:43 pmNow he realises that age does not support him.He never bothers about his age when taking active part in politics for family gain only.The looter should be given maximum punishment.Reply
- InformationTechnologyVision DWCLLCJan 5, 2018 at 4:22 pmRemember u r these words tomorrow what modi Amit shah is doing black scams will will meet the same fate treatment jasa beench bow waysa phal paohgay ... (what u sow the seeds u get the fruit) ...Reply
- Mahindra ButaniJan 5, 2018 at 3:36 pmWhat about the money? Will the court not ask for the looted money to be recovered. All assets should be seized and sold to recover the money. Or is it understood that jail sentence cancels everythingReply
- InformationTechnologyVision DWCLLCJan 5, 2018 at 4:23 pmFirst we have to recover from Modi and Amit shah for all black scamsReply
- Raja IyerJan 5, 2018 at 5:22 pmic opinion
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