RAMGARH: JMM MLA Yogendra Prasad Mahto and four others were sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment in a coal theft case by a Jharkhand court.
Ramgarh sub-divisional judicial magistrate R P Mala convicted the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator and the others in the 2010 case.
They were also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 by the court yesterday. If the convicts failed to pay the fine, they would have to serve three months additional imprisonment, the order said.
After the pronouncement of sentence, the Gomia MLA's lawyer prayed for bail on the grounds that he would file an appeal before a higher court challenging the order.
SDJM Mala granted provisional bail for one month to the MLA and directed him to seek regular bail from an appeal court.
Public Prosecutor R B Rai said here that the case had been lodged with Rajrappa police station in Bokaro district against Yogendra Prasad Mahto and the four others for coal theft in 2010.