Lalu Prasad found guilty in fourth fodder scam, sentenced to 14 years in jail and fined Rs 60 Lakh

(File Photo: PTI)

Ranchi: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad was on Saturday sentenced to 14 years in jail and fined Rs 60 lakh by a special CBI court in the fourth fodder scam case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from the Dumka treasury in the early 1990s, a CBI counsel said.

CBI judge Shiv Pal Singh awarded two sentences of seven years each to the former Bihar chief minister under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Acts, he said.

Prabhat Kumar, Lalu Prasad's counsel, told journalists that he will appeal to a higher court against the judgment.

Minutes are the court pronounced the sentence, Lalu’s son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav said he feared for his father’s life. “We will challenge it in High Court. We will decide further strategy on the basis of overall judgement in all four cases. I am sure there is threat to his (Lalu’s) life looking at the conspiracy being planned by the BJP,” Tejashwi said.

Prasad has been serving the prison term in Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi since December 23 last year after being convicted in the second fodder scam case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of money from the Deogarh treasury.

The RJD supremo is currently undergoing treatment at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, where he was admitted last week after he complained of chest pain and discomfort in jail.

(With PTI inputs)

Virat Kohli Opts for County Stint Before India's Tour of England

Virat Kohli has decided to go the extra yard to prepare for the upcoming England tour after the IPL. The Indian captain has opted for a short county stint after the IPL to help prepare for the Test series which begins on August 1, the Times of India have reported.

Kohli, who will turn out for Surrey in June and play his home games at the historic Kia Oval in London will be the first Indian to join their roster. Surrey are listed to play three four day games in June against the likes of Hampshire, Somerset and Yorkshire, all of which Kohli is expected to play.

"Virat Kohli will be playing for the top English County side Surrey in the month of June. The BCCI has allowed him to fully focus on the England Test series along with Cheteshwar Pujara (Yorkshire), Ravichandran Ashwin (Warwickshire) and Ishant Sharma (Sussex). Virat will miss the Test match against Afghanistan in Bangalore from June 14-18," COA chief Vinod Rai told PTI during an interaction.

"The decision has been taken in consultation with the players as we felt after the South Africa series, our Test team needs more time to acclimatise before the England Test series. 

The BCCI were in talks with the various counties as we wanted our main players to get county exposure," 

India’s tour to England which begins on August 1st will see the sides take on each other in five Test matches, followed by three ODIs and three T20

Important for celebrities to speak up, bring change: Deepika Padukone

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS): As multiple Bollywood films are celebrating how weaknesses can be turned into strengths, leading actress Deepika Padukone says it is important for celebrities to use their place of influence and power to bring about change in society.

“I think it is extremely important for those who are in positions of influence or power to bring about social change. It is extremely important for them to speak up about whatever issue it might be,” Deepika told IANS in interview.

Of late, film actors and filmmakers are attempting storylines which have a strong underlying message that can bring change in society. The latest example is Rani Mukerji’s “Hichki”, which talks about how a woman with Tourette Syndrome, a neuropsychiatric disorder, makes it her strength and becomes a teacher.

Deepika, one of Bollywood’s top-earning actresses, believes people can see if you do not have genuine connect or if it is not authentic.

“For many years, people always said, ‘You know you are successful, you should do work in social sectors as well or associate with an NGO’. There were so many options (for me), but I didn’t feel like I was being honest to them.

“It didn’t come naturally to me until I came across mental health, also because of my personal experience,” said the actress, who had earlier opened up about her battle with depression.

She feels speaking up for a cause has to be an “organic” process.

“I don’t think there is any fixed time as to when one should do it. I think you should do it when you feel it is right.”

Deepika was here along with her mother and younger sister to launch a report on Public Perception Towards Mental Health in India by her foundation The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF), which aims to reduce the stigma around mental health.

The report’s findings indicate that a majority of people feel that mental illness is still considered a severe disorder like schizophrenia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

But are celebrities not more prone to depression and stress, especially when they are constantly under the scanner, more so with the emergence of social media?

“No. I think I have understood the correlation between consumption of social media and when it helps. I always believed that whatever you consume, you consume in moderation.

“If you consume too much, it could have various sorts of impact, not just on your mental health but physical health too. I know people who are up at social media in the wee hours and probably letting it eat up their sleep time.

“As long as anything that you consume, whether it is social media or otherwise, is done in moderation, and you are aware about your social health, I think you are on the right path,” said the 32-year-old.

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters to her is “peace of mind”.

Deepika said she wants to see India as the happiest nation in the world.

“My vision for the Foundation is that we become the happiest country in the world. I see Bhutan having their happiness minister, and even some of the Scandinavian countries have the highest rate of mental happiness and I want India to be there, sooner or later,” she signed off.

Pics of Porn Star Stormy Who Had an 'Affair' With Donald Trump

An adult film actress who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump offered to return the $130,000 she was paid for agreeing not to discuss the alleged relationship. Earlier, President Donald Trump's personal attorney said he paid $130,000 out of his own pocket to a porn actress. (Image: courtesy by AP)

Stormy Daniels — whose real name is Stephanie Clifford — is willing to repay the money she received as part of a 2016 agreement, as long as she can speak openly about the situation, according to a copy of a letter from Clifford's attorney obtained by The Associated Press. (Image: courtesy by AFP)

What happened between Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels more than a decade ago have the woman firmly denying an extramarital affair with Trump and then playing coy about that denial. (Image: courtesy by Reuters)

Stormy Daniels, the woman who allegedly had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump in 2006, said in a statement issued that the alleged affair never occurred. (Image: courtesy by AFP)

However, Daniels appeared to disown the statement in an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," saying she didn't know where it came from and the signature didn't look like hers. (Image: courtesy by AFP)

Stormy Daniels' real name is Stephanie Clifford. Her tale of what happened with Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada became a point of fascination after The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the president's longtime personal lawyer had arranged a $130,000 payment to Clifford in October 2016 to keep her from publicly discussing the alleged sexual encounter during the presidential campaign. (Image: courtesy by AFP)