Express News Service
RANCHI: The hearing for the bail application of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam related to Dumka treasury was deferred by a week on Friday after the CBI sought time to file a counter-affidavit for the plea of defense counsel.
The bail application was filed in Jharkhand High Court on the grounds of completion of half of his sentence.
On February 19 this year, the court had rejected the same as the RJD chief had falled short by 17 days to complete half of his sentencing.
After completing the said period in jail, the RJD chief once again sought bail in the court.
“Even as my client completed a month and 17 days today according to the court’s order of February 19, we approached it seeking bail. But the CBI sought one more week to file a counter-affidavit in the case. The CBI, however, has allowed three days for filing the counter-affidavit pushing the next date of hearing toApril 16,” RJD Chief’s advocate Prabhat Kumar said.
Notably, after being convicted by a Special CBI Court in Ranchi on December 23, 2017, in the second fodder scam case involving the illegal withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury, the RJD Chief was lodged in Birsa Munda Central jail in Ranchi. However, he had to be shifted to RIMS on August 29, 2018, after his health started deteriorating.
The 72-year RJD Chief, after being diagnosed with symptoms of pneumonia, was shifted to AIIMS in January this year on the recommendation of an eight-member medical board, set up to look into his health conditions. Yadav is also a chronic patient of hypertension, diabetes, heart and kidney ailments.
Yadav, so far, has been convicted in four out of the five cases related to multi-crore fodder scam cases related to Chaibasa Treasury (RC20A/96) on September 30, 2013, another Chaibasa Treasury (RC68A/96) on January 24, 2018, Deoghar Treasury (RC 64A/96) on February 23, 2018 and Dumka Treasury (RC38A/96) on February 19.
RC 47A/96, related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda treasury in Ranchi, is still pending in a Special CBI Court in Ranchi. The RJD Chief has already secured bail in Deoghar Treasury (RC 64A/96), Chaibasa Treasury (RC 68A/96) and another Chaibasa Treasury (RC20A/96) related case.