Lalu Prasad convicted in fodder scam case

The RJD supremo faces immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member as per a Supreme Court order

A special CBI court here on Monday has convicted former Bihar Chief Minster and RJD leader Lalu Prasad in the in the multi-crore fodder scam case.

Now, Mr. Prasad faces immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member.

43 other accused, including six politicians and four IAS officers, were also convicted for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury n the 1990s in a case lodged by CBI.

The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence to the convicts on October 3.

Earlier, the RJD chief and another accused, former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, earlier arrived at the CBI Court here. Accompanied by son Tejaswi Pratap and a host of party colleagues, 65-year-old Prasad arrived here on Sunday.

Besides the RJD supremo, other accused persons include former Bihar Chief Minister Mishra and JD (U) MP Jagdish Sharma.

The RJD chief will face immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member as per a Supreme Court order that an MP or legislator would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more.

The government was about to promulgate an ordinance to undo the apex court order, prompting opposition BJP to allege that it had been done to protect Congress member in Rajya Sabha Rashid Masood, who was recently convicted in a corruption case and also Prasad in case he is indicted in the fodder scam.

However, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, slammed the ordinance as “complete nonsense” which should be “torn up and thrown away,” leaving its fate uncertain.