Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted in five fodder scam instances involving illegal money withdrawals from...
Digital Desk: The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday heard a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking an increase in the sentence given to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in the Deoghar Treasury case.
Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted in five fodder scam instances involving illegal money withdrawals from Jharkhand treasuries in Deoghar, Dumka, Chaibasa, and Doranda.
The Deoghar Treasury case involves the unauthorized withdrawal of Rs 79 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury. Lalu Prasad Yadav, who received a three-and-a-half-year prison in the case, is currently out on bail because of his deteriorating health.
During the hearing, the CBI argued that Yadav was the primary culprit and main conspirator in the case and that his sentence should be raised to match that of Jagdish Sharma, who received a sentence of seven years in prison in the same case.
The bench of Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad and Shubash Chandra directed that the matter be sent to the competent bench for further proceedings. During the hearing, Debarsi Mondal, Lalu Yadav's counsel, appeared before the bench.
In 2019, the CBI petitioned the Jharkhand High Court to extend the sentence handed down to Lalu Yadav in the fodder scam charges. The national agency has also questioned the bail granted to Yadav in the case last year.
During the time of the scam, the RJD supremo managed the finance portfolio of undivided Bihar and reportedly accepted kickbacks through the animal husbandry department.
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