Fodder Scam: Jharkhand High Court defers RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's bail plea to February 19

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was earlier shifted to the AIIMS, Delhi from the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi on the advice of the State Medical Board. Dr Umesh Prasad, Lalu`s physician, had said last month that Yadav`s kidney was functioning at 25% capacity and his situation could take a turn for the worse.

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday (February 12) deferred hearing on the bail plea of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to February 19. The case pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.5 crores from the Dumka treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996 when Lalu Yadav served as Bihar's Chief Minister.

The RJD supremo, who had been in prison since December 2017, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2018 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and seven years under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the fodder scam case.

Lalu Prasad earlier petitioned the High Court to grant him bail on the basis of deducting half the period of the sentence in the case.  The Rashtriya Janata Dal chief is being tried for five fodder scam cases, and he has been convicted in four cases. Lalu has already got bail in three cases, while one case is currently underway in a CBI court. The petition on his behalf stated that he has completed 42 months, 28 days of custody in jail.

Lalu Prasad Yadav was earlier shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi from the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on the advice of the State Medical Board. Dr Umesh Prasad, Lalu`s physician had said last month that Yadav`s kidney was functioning at 25 percent capacity and his situation could take a turn for the worse.

On Thursday, Lalu Yadav`s elder son and party MLA Tej Pratap Yadav sent 50,000 postcard letters to President Ram Nath Kovind requesting him to release the former Bihar Chief Minister from jail on humanitarian grounds.

Tej Pratap Yadav said told ANI, "We are collecting these letters written by followers of Lalu Ji from Bihar and India. This campaign will continue until he is released. I will request President to give time to meet me," adding "I am appealing to all to write the letter and submit it to us and we will send to the President of India."