Ranchi: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Thursday sentenced RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad to five years rigorous imprisonment in a 17-year-old fodder scam case, thus disqualifying him as MP. Former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and JD(U) MP Jagdish Sharma were both given four years rigorous imprisonment each. "In this case, two of the hon'ble members of parliament, namely Dr Jagdish Sharma... and Sri Lalu Prasad have been convicted by the court for the offences under Prevention of Corruption Act as well as for criminal conspiracy... The CBI is directed to immediately inform the hon'ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha... regarding the conviction," said the court. Sharma also stands to lose his Lok Sabha seat.
Special Judge Pravas Kumar Singh also imposed fines of Rs 25 lakh on Lalu Prasad, Rs 5 lakh on Jagdish Sharma and Rs 2 lakh on Jagannath Mishra. Prasad was convicted with 44 others on September 30. "The availing of hospitality and pecuniary gains by these politicians and executives finally and decisively implicates them," said the court in its 568-page order. "When corruption was sought to be eliminated from the polity, all possible stringent measures are to be adopted within the bounds of law. One such measure is to provide condign punishment," said the judge. The defence argued that the accused have been suffering for the last 17 years, during which they have aged, and giving them long jail terms will be tantamount to capital punishment.
"...in criminal justice system, it may take years for final conclusion of the trial. It is true that the accused has suffered ordeals of the trial, but how can one forget the agony of the society and the public who was waiting for the result and the final outcome of the trial," said the court. While Prasad and the other accused are currently lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail here, they were informed of the court proceedings via video conferencing. "This is wrong. I have not been given justice. Hum bhi law jaante hain (Even I know the law)," Prasad is learnt to have told the judge.
Sharma, convicted for his role as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "I was just doing my duty. I did not have anything to do with this." The judge told them to raise their concerns in their appeals to the high court. The judge called each convict individually. "He called in the suppliers first. Then came the Animal Husbandry Department officials, bureaucrats and then the politicians," said B M P Singh, special public prosecutor in the case. Prasad was the last to be informed. All the 37 sentenced on Thursday were given four-five years jail terms. The fines varied from Rs 2 lakh to Rs. 1.5 crore.
