CBI officer A K Jha, the main investigating officer in RC20A/96 case which saw the imrpisonment of RJD chief Lalu Prasad a long 17 years after the multi-crore rupees fodder scam surfaced, appeared to be content when the judge pronouned the quantum of punishment today.
When Lalu Prasad entered the camera zone, Jha glanced at the screen and quietly noted down when CBI judge Pravas Kumar Singh pronounced the quantum of punishment through video-conferencing. He was among those present in the room. Prasad was handed five years imprisonment in the Rs 950 crore scam and a fine of Rs 25 lakh.
He appeared unperturbed when Prasad pleaded innocence. Later, Jha told PTI, "I feel relieved and encouraged to work more in anti-corruption cases. I am happy that my findings were accepted by the honourable court."
Jha, now a CBI deputy superintent of police and is involved in investigations on the 2012 horse trading case in Rajya Sabha, is also assisting in eight other fodder scam cases.
Jha and his team's investigation had led to the conviction of six politicians, four IAS officers, one Income Tax commissioner, eight AHD officials, one treasury official and 25 suppliers in the fodder scam.
