Zee Media Bureau
Ranchi: A special CBI court on October 03 jailed former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad for five years and fined him Rs 25 lakh for his involvement in the fodder scam. The court of Pravas Kumar Singh also sentenced former chief minister Jagannath Mishra and Janata Dal-United MP Jagdish Sharma to four years in prison each.
Here`s a timeline of the 17-year-old multi-million fodder scam:
January 27, 1996: The Rs 950-crore fodder scam came to the fore after Deputy Commissioner Amit Khare conducted a raid on the offices of Animal Husbandry department in Chaibasa. After the division of Bihar, Chaibasa district is now in Jharkhand. The scam involved embezzlement of funds from government treasury given to non-existent companies for supply of cattle fodder in Bihar.
March 11, 1996: The Patna high court directed the CBI to initiate a probe into the fodder scam.
March 19, 1996: The Supreme Court put a confirmation stamp on the Patna high court order, directed a two-member bench to keep an eye on the investigation.
May 10, 1997: The CBI urged the Governor of Bihar to prosecute Lalu.
June 17, 1997: The Governor gave permission for Lalu and others to be prosecuted.
June 23, 1997: The CBI filed chargesheets against Lalu and 55 other co-accused. A total of 63 cases were registered under IPC Sections 420 (forgery) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and Section 13 (b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
July 27, 1997: Lalu Prasad installed his wife Rabri Devi as Bihar`s chief minister. He had to quit as his name was figured in the CBI investigations.
July 30, 1997: Lalu Prasad Yadav surrendered before the CBI court.
August 19, 1998: A disproportionate assets case was registered against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi.
April 4, 2000: In the disproportionate assets case, a chargesheet was filed against Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi was made a co-accused for abetment of the offence.
April 5, 2000: Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi surrendered, but the latter got bail.
May 10, 2000: The Patna High Court granted provisional bail to Lalu, which was later extended a number of times.
June 9, 2000: Charges were framed against Lalu Prasad in court.
October 2001: The Supreme Court transferred all the cases to Jharkhand.
November 23, 2006: Arguments concluded in the case.
December 04, 2006: Judge fixed December 18 for delivering verdict.
December 18, 2006: A clean chit was given to Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in the disproportionate assets case.
2000-2012: Several key witnesses and accused in the case passed away during this time period.
May 31, 2007: Fifty-eight people were convicted, and given terms of five to six years each.
May 17, 2012: The special CBI court framed charges against Lalu Prasad in another fodder scam case.
September 17, 2013: Special court in Ranchi reserved its verdict in the fodder scam case.
September 30, 2013: Special CBI Judge PK Singh pronounced the judgment in the case No RC 20 A/96. He convicted all the 45 accused, including Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra, in the scam. The court will pronounce the sentencing on October 03. The RJD chief stands disqualified as member of the Lok Sabha following the verdict.
October 03: A special CBI court jailed former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad for five years and fined him Rs 25 lakh. The court of Pravas Kumar Singh also sentenced former CM Jagannath Mishra and Janata Dal-United MP Jagdish Sharma to four years in prison each. With the sentencing, Lalu Prasad becomes the second politician to lose membership of Parliament in line with a Supreme Court ruling.
(With Agency inputs)
