52 convicted, eight sent to jail in fodder scam case

RANCHI - A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi Monday convicted 52 people in a scam related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.20 crore from the state treasury to purchase fodder for public distribution and sentenced eight to three years’ imprisonment.

Special CBI Judge A.H. Ansari convicted 52 people in the case related to illegal withdrawal of Rs.20 crore from the Doranda treasury in Ranchi.

The court awarded three years’ rigorous imprisonment to eight convicted people and slapped on them fines ranging between Rs.25,000-Rs.10 lakh.

The quantum of sentence against rest of the convicts will be pronounced Tuesday.

The multi-million rupee scam, popularly known as the fodder scam, surfaced in 1996 during undivided Bihar. A total 61 cases related to the scam were transferred to Jharkhand after it was carved out of Bihar in November 2000. Special CBI courts have passed judgments in 32 cases.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra have been named as accused in five cases.