The single bench of Jharkhand High Court headed by Justice Apresh Kumar Singh on Friday postponed hearing of bail petition of former Bihar chief minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad in one of the fodder scam cases related to Dumka treasury.
The court will now hear the case on December 22.
The court deferred hearing after senior lawyer Devarshi Mandal appearing on behalf of Lalu Prasad sought six weeks of time to file counter petition in response to CBI raising objection over bail Lalu’s petition.
He said he needs time to procure certified copies and other documents.
Meanwhile, the CBI also filed a supplementary affidavit before the court to shift Lalu Prasad from the paying
ward of RIMS to Birsa Munda Central Jail.
Lalu Prasad was shifted from jail to RIMS’ paying ward for his treatment of different diseases. In August, Lalu was shifted to sprawling Kelly bungalow; the official residence of RIMS director on the ground due to the outbreak of Covid-19 he needed to be relocated to a safe and isolated place. During and after Bihar assembly election Lalu was accused by the opposition for carrying political activities and promoting horse trading by violating jail manual. State government finally shifted him back to the paying ward of RIMS on November 26.
The CBI in the counter affidavit has contended that Lalu Prasad has recovered and he is stable now hence he should be shifted to jail.
Now things will be clear in the next hearing as to how Lalu Prasad convinces the court that he is eligible for bail on the ground that he has completed half of the sentence period in the jail. In Dumka treasury case RC 38A/96 involving illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.76 crore from Dumka treasury the special CBI court of Shivpal Singh had awarded him 14 years of imprisonment.
The court had awarded him seven years of rigorous imprisonment under sections of IPC and another seven years under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. The court directed that both punishments will run consecutively.
Serially convicted in four fodder scam cases Lalu Prasad has been in judicial custody in Ranchi from December 2017. He has secured bail in three cases.