Fodder scam: How long will Lalu have to stay in jail? Quantum of punishment today

Patna: A special CBI court in Ranchi is set to pronounce its judgement against RJD Chief Lalu Yadav and 16 other in the multi-million Fodder scam case. The hearing of the court is likely to begin at 11am on Wednesday. This comes after Lalu was convicted of doing a multi-million fraud during his tenure in government. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday came down heavily on Lalu Prasad and his supporters for alleging that the RJD supremo has been targeted because he belonged to a backward case. In a statement issued here, Sushil Modi said "a court of law does not pass judgements on the basis of caste and, also, Bihar has moved beyond caste politics". "Prasad should brace for severe punishment by the court of law, further to his conviction in the case which was based upon facts and evidences", Sushil Modi said. Fodder scam verdict: Prasad was convicted by a special CBI court in Ranchi on December 23 for fraudulent withdrawal of money from the treasury in Deoghar district. Earlier, in September, 2013, he was convicted for a similar offence in Chaibasa treasury. He was released on bail, granted by the Supreme Court, three months after his conviction. The senior BJP leader, who was one of the petitioners on whose PIL the Patna High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the fodder scam cases in 1996, called Prasad "a habitual offender who is beyond reform and went on to amass benami property worth nearly a thousand crores despite having been convicted once". Prasad, who was the state's Chief Minister for seven years and was succeeded by his wife Rabri Devi who held the office for nearly eight years, was accused by Sushil Modi of "keeping Bihar in darkness during the 15 years of his rule".