Lalu to walk free after serving half fodder sentence
Sunday, 18 April 2021 | Mrituanjay Kumar | Ranchi
The Jharkhand High Court on Saturday granted bail to former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad in a fodder scam case involving illegal withdrawal of funds from Dumka treasury, paving his release from jail on completion of half the sentence period. Lalu is presently being treated at AIIMS, Delhi.
The court granted bail to Lalu on bail bond of Rs 5 lakh and a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
Lalu’s lawyer Devarshi Mandal told PTI that they will move Special CBI court in Ranchi after it opens on Monday to seek his release following High Court order.
Explaining the release procedure, Mandal said, they have send an application to Lalu for his signature which will be submitted to the CBI court here on Monday along with the High Court order.
Mandal said the court has granted bail to him on the basis of depositing a bond of Rs 5 lakh and a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh. He has also been asked to submit his passport and has been asked not to change his phone number and address. This case is related to RC-38A/96 in connection with the illegal withdrawal from Dumka treasury. There is a case of illegal withdrawal of about Rs 3.13 crore.
Mandal said all the formalities are expected to be completed expeditiously and the release in all probability will happen on Monday. Llau will be freed after 39 months and 25 days of incarceration.
Earlier, taking the plea of the CBI as true, Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh had rejected Lalu’s bail plea. Lalu had then once again requested for bail from the Jharkhand High Court.
Lalu was serving jail sentences in four cases of fodder scam. Recently, Lalu’s bail plea was filed in the High Court on the basis of completing half of the sentence. According to Lalu’s Advocate, on April 9, half of Lalu’s sentence in the Dumka treasury case has been completed. Ranchi’s CBI Court had sentenced him to seven years in the Dumka treasury case.
However, in the biggest and fifth case of fodder scam of illegal withdrawal from Doranda treasury, hearing is going on in Ranchi’s special CBI Court. In this case also, a decision can be made against Lalu and can go to jail once again.
The RJD chief is suffering from serious diseases and undergoing treatment at AIIMS in Delhi. Earlier, he was getting treatment in Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi.