Lalu Prasad Yadav sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail in fodder scam

A special CBI court in Ranchi on Saturday sentenced Lalu Prasad Yadav to three-and-a-half 3.5 years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh fine. Along with Convicts Phool Chand, Mahesh Prasad, Bake Julious,Sunil Kumar, Sushil Kumar, Sudhir Kumar and Raja Ram were also sentenced to 3.5 years in jail and Rs 5 lakh fine each.

Earlier Judge said 'an open jail is best for these people(convicts), as they also have experience of cow farming' 

The court proceedings get underway after judge reaches video conferencing room.

Quantum of punishment was pronounced through video-conferencing to Lalu who is currently lodged in Ranchi's Birsa Munda central jail.

Earlier in the week, Prasad's advocate filed a plea before the court seeking minimum punishment for the party supremo on health grounds.

Prasad, in his plea, had mentioned, "I have no role in this scam directly; consider minimum punishment keeping in view my age and health grounds."

The RJD chief, along with 14 others, was found guilty by the court, while seven accused, including former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, were acquitted on December 23.

Lalu has been convicted in one of the cases of the fodder scam, wherein Rs. 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer was siphoned off under the pretext of purchasing fodder for livestock, during the '80s and '90s.

Lalu is currently at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Thirty-four people were accused in the case of which 11 died during the trial.

One person turned CBI approver and admitted to the crime.

Lalu is also facing trial in three other cases relating to the fodder scam, which is also called the " chaara ghotala".