in ,

Jail release likely on Monday but Lalu to return home from Delhi hosp after recovery: Family

RJD president Lalu Prasad, who is likely to walk out of jail on Monday having secured his bail in the multi-crore-rupees fodder scam cases, will, however, take time to return home as treatment for his various ailments is still underway at AIIMS Delhi.

Supporters of the RJD, after getting to know about his bail, had been busy making preparations to greet him on his arrival, but Prasad”s family clarified that he would return only after full recovery.

The Jharkhand High Court granted bail to Prasad in the Dumka treasury case on Saturday, noting that he has already served half the tenure of his sentence, and paved the way for his release from jail after 39 months and 25 days.

Prasad”s younger son and political heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav wished the former chief minister a speedy recovery, and said that his treatment, as of now, will continue at AIIMS Delhi.

He is a diabetic and suffers from heart ailments, kidney infection and breathing problems, Yadav pointed out, adding that he and other family members are in touch with the doctors attending to him.

Sources close to Prasad said the RJD supremo, on hearing about the Jharkhand High Court bail order, maintained that he had always had faith in the country”s judicial system.

His wife Rabri Devi, a two-time chief minister, and daughter Misa Bharti, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, met him in Delhi on Saturday. Prasad has seven daughters and two sons.

Bharti”s younger sibling Ragini, who had earlier announced that she is observing Ramzan and ”chaiti” puja, said her prayers have been answered.

The RJD leader”s lawyer, Devarshi Mandal, had told PTI on Saturday that he will move a special CBI court in Ranchi after it opens on Monday to seek his release.

The central investigation agency had been probing the fodder scam cases.

Asked about the release procedure, Mandal said that an application has been sent to Prasad for his signature, which will then be submitted to a CBI court on Monday along with a copy of the high court order.

Prasad need not appear in person before the CBI court, he explained.

An order will be duly sent by the CBI court to Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi, where Prasad was originally sent after his conviction in the fodder scam cases, Mandal said.

Authorities at Birsa Munda jail will forward necessary papers to Tihar jail in the national capital, where Prasad was subsequently shifted, to ensure his release, he stated.

All formalities are expected to be completed expeditiously and the release, most likely, will be secured on Monday, the lawyer added. Earlier, Prasad had acquired bail in three other fodder scam cases pertaining to Deogarh, Chaibasa and Ranchi”s Doranda treasuries. He was waiting for the court”s verdict in the Dumka case.

The high court, while granting the RJD supremo bail, directed him to submit his passport and not leave the country without permission.

It also instructed him not to change his address and mobile number during the bail period.

The court further ordered him to deposit Rs 5 lakh each as penalties in two cases — one under an IPC section and another under the Prevention of Corruption Act — and two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each.

Prasad, who has also served as the railway minister from 2004 to 2009, was airlifted to AIIMS, Delhi on January 24 in view of his ill health.

The Rs 950-crore fodder scam had taken place in the animal husbandry department when Prasad was the chief minister of undivided Bihar.

The RJD boss was sent to jail on December 23, 2017 following his conviction in the Deogarh treasury case.

Leave election management, start COVID management: AAP”s Raghav Chadha to PM Modi

Delhi records over 25,462 new COVID-19 cases, 161 deaths in a day