RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Thursday moved Jharkhand High Court challenging his conviction and sentence by a special CBI court here in respect of withdrawal of Rs 139.5 crore from Doranda treasury in the fodder scam case.
The ailing leader, who has been sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 60 lakh, has pleaded before the high court seeking suspension of his sentence in the matter, his counsel Devarshi Mandal said.
It is, however, not immediately known when the court will hear his petition.
Prasad was earlier on bail but surrendered before the CBI court and is in custody since February 15. He was sentenced on February 21. The former Bihar chief minister has been shifted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences for the monitoring of his medical condition. The petition said that he requires better medical facilities to monitor his health.
Prasad has been convicted for the fifth time in a series of fodder scam cases. While he is on bail granted by the Jharkhand High Court in the four other cases, the present conviction is in connection with the withdrawals from the Doranda treasury here during 1995-96 when he was the chief minister of erstwhile undivided Bihar.
The fodder scam is pegged at Rs 950 crore. The money was withdrawn from various treasuries through fake challans and bills by the animal husbandary department. Prasad, who was the chief minister at the time, also held the portfolio of the finance department and had allegedly received huge kickbacks.
