Former Bihar CM lalu Prasad will have to wait for a few more days in Birsa Munda central jail as the Jharkhand High Court on Friday, while hearing his bail application, sought for the lower court records.
The court, however, granted bail to the 11 other convicts, sentenced by the CBI court in the same case on the ground of having already spent half of their sentencing period earlier the jail. "The court of Justice RR Prasad admitting the appeal issued notice to the CBI and has asked for the lower court record of this case," said lalu's advocate Prabhat Kumar.
The matter will be taken up as soon as the court receives the records from the CBI court. "The court has asked to remove some defects which have been found in the lalu's petition," said CBI Advocate Mokhtar Khan. lalu, alongwith the other 45 persons, have been convicted in the fodder scam case no. RC20A/96 which related to fraudulently withdrawing Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury while he was the Chief Minister of united Bihar.
Earlier on Thursday, senior advocate Anil Kumar Sinha mentioned lalu's application in the Court pleading to hear the case. Sinha said that lalu has been framed in the case as there is no direct evidence against him of committing fraudulence. "The person who first ordered to file FIR in the case, himself was convicted in the case," pleaded Sinha.
In case of three other convicts, including RK Rana, Harish Kumar and Ravindra Mehra, the court wanted to know the period for which they had been in jail. The CBI sought some more time to gather records in the case.
Total of 26 convicts in fodder scam case RC20A/96 had filed bail application on Thursday of which 15 were taken up and 11 were granted bail. The CBI court on September 30 had convicted 45 accused persons including lalu Prasad following which they moved to High Court.