Fodder scam: Key facts and timeline

A Special CBI court in Ranchi convicted Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in a multi-crore fodder scam case No. RC 20 A/96 on Monday. Lalu Prasad was forced to quit the chief minister's post in 1997 when his name figured in the CBI investigations in the scam, which surfaced in 1996. The multi-million animal husbandry department scam, popularly known as the fodder scam, accuses Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra, both former chief ministers of Bihar, and ministers from the department, two IAS officials and others, of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.37.70 crore from Chaibasa district treasury. Altogether 61 cases were filed by the CBI in the scam, 53 of which were transferred from Bihar to Jharkhand after the bifurcation of the state in November 2000. The courts have passed judgements in 43 cases so far, and nearly 1,200 people, including officials and suppliers, have been convicted in different cases so far. Earlier, a CBI court had sentenced the key accused to seven years imprisonment. It also asked the then regional directors of the animal husbandry department -- K N Jha and J Bhengraj -to pay Rs.2 crore each as fine. The then additional director K M Prasad was asked to cough up Rs.1 crore. All the three persons convicted will serve additional prison term of one-and-ahalf year if they do not pay the fine. The three other officials -- Braj bhushan Prasad, Nityanand Kumar Singh and Radha Raman Sahay -- were fined Rs.1 crore each.

A Timeline
January 27, 1996: The scam came to fore. Crores of money from the state government treasury given to non-existent companies for supply of fodder in districts like Chaibasa. March 11, 1996: Patna high court directed CBI to investigate the fodder scam. March 19, 1996: Supreme Court confirmed the Patna high court order, directed a bench to monitor the probe. July 27, 1997: With the CBI tightened its noose around Lalu Prasad, he installed his wife Rabri Devi as chief minister of Bihar. July 30, 1997: Lalu Prasad surrendered before the CBI court. August 19, 1998: Disproportionate assets case registered against Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi. April 4, 2000: Lalu Prasad chargesheeted and Rabri Devi was made a co-accused in the DA case.

April 5, 2000: Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi surrendered, but Rabri Devi being the chief minister of Bihar got bail. June 9, 2000: Charges were framed against Lalu Prasad in court. October 2001: Supreme Court transfered all the cases to Jharkhand and Lalu Prasad had to surrender in Ranchi. December 18, 2006: Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi were given clean chit in the disproportionate assets case. 2000-2012: As the trial continued in Jharkhand court, several key witnesses and accused passed away. May 17, 2012: The special CBI court framed charges against Lalu Prasad in another fodder scam case, which pertained to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.3.13 crore from Dumka treasury between December 1995 and January 1996. September 17, 2013: Special court in Ranchi reserved its verdict in the fodder 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. Thye court will pronounce the sentencing on October 3.

Former Bihar chief minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad was finally sentenced for five years with fine of Rs 25 lakh in case no. RC20A/96 of the Rs 950 crore fodder scam by CBI special Judge PK Singh on Thursday.

He is one among the 37 people accused in the same case. Another former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra has been sentenced for four years with fine of Rs 2 lakh whereas JD (U) sitting MP Jagdish Prasad has been sentenced for four years with fine of Rs 5 lakh. Former MLA, RK Rana, has been slapped with the maximum fine of Rs 30 lakh and imprisonment of five years. Four IAS officers and 25 suppliers who were accused by the CBI in the same case have been awarded imprisonment of four years each.Lalu, who was convicted in the case on Monday along with 44 others, including former chief minister Jagannath Mishra is currently lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail here. The 65-year-old leader has lost his Lok Sabha seat and stands disqualified as an MP and is also barred from contesting election for six years following the sentencing thanks to a Supreme Court order. During the argument in the court earlier today, Lalu's counsel pleaded a lenient sentence underlining that the former CM was a senior and law abiding citizen. Lalu's lawyer also argued he was too old and suffered from many diseases. On the other hand, CBI demanded maximum punishment 'which would act as deterrent in similar cases.'

The 17-year-old case involves fraudulent withdrawal to the tune of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury in the 1990s.