Lalu Prasad, other fodder scam convicts asked to stay in open jail to rear cattle

Lalu Prasad has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail in the fodder scam case.

JALAUN: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and 16 others have been convicted in the fodder scam case. Lalu has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail. While some reports suggest that he would be given the job of a gardener in the jail with his daily wage being Rs 93, some reports claim that the judge had suggested he be given the job to rear cattle.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge Shiv Pal Singh had on Monday proposed that all 16 convicts in the fodder scam case, including Lalu, stay in an open jail where they could rear cattle. While pronouncing the sentences via video conference, Singh had reportedly said that "gau palan (cattle rearing) is a good option for the convicts as they have 'good knowledge of fodder and cattle medicine'.

He gave the recommendation when a convict requested him to reduce the quantum of sentence by six months so that he could get bail and stay with his family.

On January 6, a special CBI court sentenced Lalu to 3.5 years of jail in regards to the case. He was also slapped with a fine of Rs 5 lakh.Lalu has been sentenced in the case relating to embezzling of more than Rs 89 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.The court also said if he fails to furnish the fine, his jail term would extend by six months. 

The jail officials have remained tightlipped over what task Lalu has been assigned to do. "We cannot tell that," the jail officials said adding that the job is allotted according to the requirement of the jail and not the wish of an inmate.

The former Bihar chief minister was convicted on December 23 in connection with a case relating to illegal withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar treasury.

This was the second conviction of the former Union minister in the scam that was reported for the first time 21 years ago.

Earlier, the 69-year-old RJD leader was convicted of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from the Chaibasa treasury in September 30, 2013, and was awarded a five-year jail term. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court after having spent over two-and-a-half months in jail.

Prasad is an accused in three more fodder scam cases in Ranchi relating to the "fraudulent" withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda treasury respectively. 

(With agency inputs)