*Pic shows Ex Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav

Even as his fifth case relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 139 crore from the Doranda treasury in Ranchi is pending with the court,former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was today convicted by a special CBI court of criminal conspiracy, corruption and other charges in the fourth fodder scam case.

However, another ex-chief minister Jagannath Mishra who together with Lalu Yadav was in Ranchi jail was acquitted.

The fifth case is in advance stage of hearing and judgment is expected soon.  

In the fourth case, the CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh held Lalu Yadav with 18 others guilty. Mishra was among 12 acquitted in the case RC 38 A/96 pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury in the early 1990s.

The charges against the convicted persons are 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (misappropriation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), 477A/IPC and section 13 (2) with 13 (i) c &d of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (misuse of official position for pecuniary advantage by the public servant and others).

After the court's judgment, Lalu Yadav preferred not to make any comment.His party colleague and the RJD's vice president  Raghubansh Prasad Singh said that they would challenge the order in the high court.

Notably, the judge is slated to hear arguments on the quantum of sentence awarded to them from March 21.

In any case, today's decision is the fourth conviction for Lalu Yadav in fodder scam cases pertaining to illegal withdrawal of money from government treasury in 1990s in the undivided Bihar when RJD was in power and Prasad the chief minister.

Prasad has been in Birsa Munda jail at Ranchi since December 23 last year after being convicted in the second case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of money from Deogarh treasury.

Records revealed that there were a total of 47 accused in the fourth fodder scam. As many as 14 of them including the prime accused Shayam Behari Sinha had died during the course of the trial while two turned approvers.

In the second case, Prasad was convicted in the RC64A/96 in connection with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury in the 1990s. He was awarded 3.5 years sentence in the case on December 23 last year.

Ex  Income Tax Commissioner A C Choudhary, former IAS officers Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad and former divisional commissioner M C Subarno were among the ex-government officials who were acquitted. Another former IAS official Phool Chand Singh was convicted along with some former AHD officials and transporters.

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