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A special CBI court on Saturday convicted former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and 15 other people in a 21-year-old fodder scam case. However, the quantum of punishment will be pronounced on January 3.
In legal experts view, it would be difficult for him to come out of jail on bail now as he will be counted as a habitual offender.
Lalu was earlier sentenced to five years imprisonment and fine of Rs 25 lakh for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.5 crore from the Chaibasa treasury. The Supreme Court granted him bail in December 2013.
"Higher courts in the past were seen to be very conservative in granting bail to a habitual offender; that is, to the person who has been convicted for a second time," Said Patna High Court's Senior Advocate Y V Giri and recalled Lalu was granted bail by the Supreme Court after his conviction in 2013
Lalu has been convicted in two of the total six fodder scam cases that he has been facing from long time in Jharkhand and Bihar. The remaining four cases are in different stages of trial so is the case registered in Bihar.
The cases under trial are RC-38 (A) for withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka treasury, RC-68 (A) for withdrawal of Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa treasury, RC-47 (A) for withdrawal of Rs 184 crore from Doranda treasury and RC-63 for withdrawal of Rs 45 lakh from Bhagalpur treasury.
Lalu’s counsel Prabhat Kumar in Ranchi, stated, since the court processes in the matter of RC 38A/96 and RC68A/96 are almost over, verdicts are expected by mid – January. “There are 990 witnesses in case number RC47A/96 of doranda in which statements of 445 have been recorded in the past 21 years. It is really difficult toy say wen this acse will reach a conclusion”, he mentiosned.
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