Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Wednesday (24 January) convicted in a third fodder scam case by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ranchi. This is another setback for the former Bihar chief minister, who is already serving a prison term in connection with another fodder scam case. The quantum of sentence is likely to be announced on Thursday, Zee TV reported.

This case is related to the alleged fraudulent withdrawal from the Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s. An amount of about Rs 33.7 crore was allegedly withdrawn against a sanctioned amount of Rs 7.1 lakh.

Another former chief minister of Bihar, Jagannath Mishra, was also found guilty in the case by the special court.

Reacting to the verdict, Lalu Prasad's son and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav said that "people of Bihar believe that Lalu ji is a hero". He alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had played a role in framing his father in fodder scam case.

Tejashwi Yadav said that legal options were still open for them. "This is not the final order," he said.

Lalu Prasad is currently lodged in Ranchi's Birsa Munda Jail. He was convicted in the second fodder scam case on 23 December, following which the court had handed him a three-and-a-half year sentence along with a fine of Rs 5 lakh on 6 January.

This is his second conviction relating to fraudulent overnight withdrawal of about Rs 90 lakh from a government treasury in Deoghar, then in undivided Bihar.