Deoghar Treasury Scam: Jharkhand HC Accepts CBI's Appeal Seeking Increased Sentence for RJD Chief Lalu Prasad
The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday, 09 July, admitted the Central Bureau of Investigation's appeal seeking an increase in the sentence awarded to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with the Deoghar Treasury Scam.
The Deoghar Treasury Scam is part of the larger Fodder Scam, which occurred when Lalu was in charge of the Animal Husbandry Department. In the instant case, he had fraudulently withdrawn INR 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar treasury between 1990 and 1994.
On December 23, 2017, a special CBI court had convicted Lalu Prasad Yadav and had sentenced him to 3.5 years' imprisonment. The court had also slapped a fine on him.
Before the High Court, the CBI had filed an appeal against the trial court's sentence order, arguing that the punishment awarded to Lalu was not enough, as the offence is of a serious nature.
The CBI also stated that when the alleged offence occurred, Jharkhand was part of Bihar. The investigative agency is now seeking an increased sentence, noting that it is an economic offence committed by a public servant who was then in charge of the office.
The agency has further added that the investigation into the offence revealed that the RJD chief was aware of the defalcation in the Deoghar treasury. Despite this, the CBI contended that the trial court awarded a sentence of only three and a half years, whereas the offence itself carries a maximum sentence of seven years.