Fodder Scam: Jharkhand HC Extends RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Provisional Bail For Another Six Months

On March 16, Lalu Prasad was granted release order by trial courts from jail in accordance with the Jharkhand High Court's verdict, providing him provisional bail in all three cases of fodder scam on medical grounds.

Ranchi, June 29: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday extended Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s bail in fodder scam, for another six weeks on medical grounds. The case pertains to illegal withdrawal of money from the Deogarh, Chaibasa and Dumka treasuries. RJD Chief is at present undergoing treatment at a Mumbai hospital.

Earlier on June 22, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s provisional bail was extended till July 3 by the Ranchi High Court. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo has been serving jail term in connection with fodder scam cases. The provisional bail was granted to Lalu till June 27. The next hearing in the case will happen on June 29.

On March 16, Lalu Prasad was granted release order by trial courts from jail in accordance with the Jharkhand High Court’s verdict, providing him provisional bail in all three cases of fodder scam on medical grounds. A special Central Bureau of Investigation court had convicted Prasad on January 24 in the case RC-68A/96 related to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.62 crore from the Chaibasa treasury and sentenced him to five years of imprisonment. The RJD chief was also convicted in the RC64A/96 case in connection with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury in the 1990s. He was awarded 3.5 years sentence in the case on December 23 last year.

Authorities at the Birsa Mundal jail in Ranchi had separately given him a three-day parole on May 10 to attend his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav’s wedding on May 12 in Patna. Travel time was not included in the parole duration and Prasad returned to the prison on May 14, a day after his parole ended.

The over Rs 900-crore fodder scam cases are related to the illegal withdrawal of money from government treasury by the animal husbandry department in undivided Bihar in the 1990s when Prasad was the chief minister.

(With agency inputs)