Fodder scam: Tejashwi alleges 'conspiracy' against Lalu

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India] December 23 (ANI): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said that the fodder scam verdict depicts a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to defame party chief Lalu Prasad.

Speaking to media here, Tejashwi said, "We will challenge the verdict in the High Court. The process of bail will take place once the High Court is opened. Today's conviction shows a conspiracy by the BJP and Nitish Kumar to defame Lalu Prasad and put him behind bars. This is not the final judgment as we still have High Court and Supreme Court and the final verdict will be given by the Apex Court".

He added that there are plenty of cases whose verdicts tend to change when they move from a lower court to High Court or Supreme Court.

"Same happened with the Disproportionate assets (DA) case where the verdict by a lower court favoured the CBI but in High Court and Supreme Court they were shunned. The whole conspiracy is based on a political vendetta. We all should come together against those who want to divide the nation and do not follow law and order", Tejashwi asserted.

He further said Lalu Prasad's only fault was that he belongs to a backward class and fought against social injustice.

"The BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) see Laluji as a threat to them. People of Bihar have made their mind to go against the BJP and Nitish Kumar and they are standing with Lalu Prasad in support. We are confident that we will get the bail and our morale will never break," he stated.

The Jharkhand police today took the RJD chief into custody and brought him to Birsa Munda Central Jail here after he was found guilty in a fodder scam case.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court today found former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad guilty in a fodder scam case.

Fourteen others have also been found guilty, while seven accused have been acquitted, including former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.The court is scheduled to pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3, 2018 for the 15 guilty, including Lalu Prasad.

Lalu has been convicted in the case relating to embezzling of more than Rs 89 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

The fodder scam involved the embezzlement of about Rs 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer.

The corruption scheme involved the fabrication of 'vast herds of fictitious livestock for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured over a period of 20 years'. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI