Fear For His Life, Says son Tejashwi Yadav After Lalu gets huge sentence for corruption
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav has been sentenced to seven years in jail under two offences in the fourth case linked to the fodder scam. The former Bihar chief minister, who was convicted by a court in Jharkhand's Ranchi on Monday, has also been fined Rs. 60 lakh.
"I fear for his life," son Tejashwi Yadav told reporters, claiming there appeared to be a conspiracy against his father.
It was not immediately clear whether the two sentences would run concurrently or consecutively. Lalu Prasad's lawyer said the court did not specify if the sentences would run consecutively. "I will need to see the ruling," he said.
The fodder scam involves the embezzlement of government funds in Bihar meant for cattle fodder. The multi-million-rupee scam surfaced in the 1990s when Lalu Yadav was chief minister of undivided Bihar.
This fourth fodder scam case relates to Rs. 3.13 crore swindled from the Dumka treasury between December 1995 and January 1996.
Besides Lalu Yadav, there are 31 other accused in this case, including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra, who was acquitted by the court on Monday.
Lalu Yadav's lawyers say he had expected relief in the Dumka treasury case as another chief minister had been acquitted.
Because of his conviction, Lalu Yadav can't contest elections or hold public office for years. In his absence, his son Tejashwi Yadav has led the party and was seen to prove himself up to the task when the RJD retained two key seats in Bihar bypolls.
Lalu Prasad was convicted in the first fodder scam case in 2013 and sentenced to jail for five years. The RJD chief was convicted in a second case on December 23, 2017, and sentenced to three-and-half years in jail. In a third case, he was sentenced to jail for five years; this one was related to money swindled from the Chaibasa treasury.
He faces two more cases -- one in Ranchi and one in Patna.
The fodder scam probe was handed over to the CBI on the Patna High Court's order. The bulk of the cases were transferred to Ranchi after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000.
"I fear for his life," son Tejashwi Yadav told reporters, claiming there appeared to be a conspiracy against his father.
It was not immediately clear whether the two sentences would run concurrently or consecutively. Lalu Prasad's lawyer said the court did not specify if the sentences would run consecutively. "I will need to see the ruling," he said.
The fodder scam involves the embezzlement of government funds in Bihar meant for cattle fodder. The multi-million-rupee scam surfaced in the 1990s when Lalu Yadav was chief minister of undivided Bihar.
This fourth fodder scam case relates to Rs. 3.13 crore swindled from the Dumka treasury between December 1995 and January 1996.
Besides Lalu Yadav, there are 31 other accused in this case, including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra, who was acquitted by the court on Monday.
Lalu Yadav's lawyers say he had expected relief in the Dumka treasury case as another chief minister had been acquitted.
Because of his conviction, Lalu Yadav can't contest elections or hold public office for years. In his absence, his son Tejashwi Yadav has led the party and was seen to prove himself up to the task when the RJD retained two key seats in Bihar bypolls.
Lalu Prasad was convicted in the first fodder scam case in 2013 and sentenced to jail for five years. The RJD chief was convicted in a second case on December 23, 2017, and sentenced to three-and-half years in jail. In a third case, he was sentenced to jail for five years; this one was related to money swindled from the Chaibasa treasury.
He faces two more cases -- one in Ranchi and one in Patna.
The fodder scam probe was handed over to the CBI on the Patna High Court's order. The bulk of the cases were transferred to Ranchi after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000.