Fodder scam case: Jharkhand HC rejects Lalu Prasad Yadav's bail plea; no immediate release from jail

Ranchi, Feb 19: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday rejected bail plea of Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with the fodder scam case and asked him to file a fresh petition after two months.

The Dumka treasury embezzlement case is an offshoot of the multi-crore rupees fodder scam. The former Bihar chief minister has already acquired bail in three cases of over Rs 900 crore fodder scam and was expecting a favourable decision in the Dumka treasury case for release from jail. Now he has to wait for two more weeks to know verdict of the court on his bail plea.

Last week, the Jharkhand High Court had deferred the hearing to February 19 hearing on the bail plea of former Bihar Chief Minister.

Prasad's lawyer Devarshi Mandal said that since an another important matter has been fixed for hearing on February 5 after a mention of it in the court, the bench gave February 12 as the new date for taking up RJD leader's bail application.

The court said if the CBI has anything to say on the issue, it can do so during this period.

CBI counsel Rajiv Sinha said he was ready for argument on the matter, but Prasad's lawyer Kapil Sibal said since all the relevant papers are not with the court at the momemt there was no point holding argument, following which the court posted the matter for a future date.

On January 25, a report was submitted to the High Court on behalf of Prasad giving details that he has already completed more than half of the jail term awarded by a CBI court in the case and made a request for early hearing in the Dumka treasury matter.

The court accepted the plea and fixed January 29 for hearing. The septuagenarian leader was air-lifted to Delhi AIIMS last week following reports of deterioration in his health.

On March 24, 2018, CBI special judge Shivpal Singh had sentenced Lalu to 14-years rigorous imprisonment in the Dumka treasury embezzlement case of fodder scam. The RJD chief was convicted in four fodder scam cases and he has already secured bail in three other cases.