Poor get poorer
As always, given the inequities built into the global economic system, the poorest people in the world have been the…
Sentence in fodder case to be pronounced on 3 october
Press trust of india
Ranchi, 30 September
Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad today suffered a major blow when a special CBI court convicted him in a 17-year-old fodder scam case of corruption that disqualifies him from Parliament and will keep him out of electoral arena for at least six years.
Also convicted was a sitting JD-U MP from Jahanabad Jagadish Sharma, who becomes the third MP to be disqualified in the wake of a Supreme Court judgment striking down a provision in the electoral law that deferred immediate disqualification of lawmakers on conviction.
Less than a fortnight ago, former Union Health Minister and sitting Rajya Sabha member Rasheed Masood was convicted in a corruption case and faces disqualification.
Another 43 accused, including former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, five politicians and four IAS officers, were also convicted by the court of Pravas Kumar Singh for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from the Chaibasa treasury.
Mr Mishra was admitted to a hospital hours after a the court convicted him in a fodder scam case, though the nature of his ‘illness’ was not specified.
The court fixed 3 October for pronouncement of sentence against Mr Prasad, Mr Mishra and others. Convicted under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC for cheating, forgery, fraudulently destroying a will and criminal conspiracy, Mr Prasad faces maximum of 10 years in jail.
Accompanied by son Tejaswi to the court, 65-year-old Mr Prasad declined to react to the judgment. He appeared calm while his car sped away to the Birsa Munda Central Jail. Mr Prasad may lose his Z+ security as the threat perception scales down in view of his conviction and restriction of movement. The court sentenced IAS officer K Arumugam, former Bihar AHD and Labour Minister Vidya Sagar Nishad and former MLA Dhruv Bhagat and five fodder suppliers for up to three years.
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