By Satyajeet Kumar: The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday heard a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking enhancement of sentence awarded to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav in Deoghar Treasury case.

Yadav was convicted in five fodder scam cases pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of money from Deoghar, Dumka, Chaibasa and Doranda treasuries in Jharkhand.

The Deoghar Treasury case pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 79 lakh from Deoghar Treasury. Lalu Yadav, who was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in the case, is currently out on bail due to ill health.

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During the hearing, the CBI argued that Yadav was the prime accused and chief conspirator in the case and requested that his sentence be increased to match that of Jagdish Sharma, who was sentenced to seven years in jail in the same case.

The bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Shubash Chandra directed to keep the matter before the competent bench for further proceedings. Lalu Yadav’s counsel, Debarsi Mondal, appeared before the bench during the hearing.

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The CBI had filed a petition in the Jharkhand High Court in 2019 to increase the quantum of sentence awarded to Lalu Yadav in the fodder scam cases. The central agency has also challenged the bail granted to Yadav in the case last year.

The RJD supremo had held the finance portfolio of undivided Bihar during the period of the scam and had allegedly received kickbacks through the animal husbandry department.

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