Lalu's bail petition hearing postponed by a week

The bail prayer in the Dumka treasury case was postponed for April 16 by Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh after the CBI sought time to file its reply on the matter.

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday deferred by a week the hearing in bail petition of jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad in a fodder scam case.

The bail prayer in the Dumka treasury case was postponed for April 16 by Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh after the CBI sought time to file its reply on the matter.

Prasad's lawyer Kapil Sibal appearing through video conferencing argued that the central probe agency was deliberately delaying the matter as it wanted to keep his client in jail "due to political reasons."

Accepting the CBI counsel plea for more time, the court directed it to submit its counter-affidavit on the matter in the next three days and put the matter for hearing on April 16.

The case relates to the illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from the Dumka treasury in the 1990s in Bihar.

Lalu continues to remain in jail pending bail. He has already acquired bail in three other cases of the multi-crore rupees fodder scam.

Lalu is currently recuperating at AIIMS New Delhi where he was airlifted in January last.

Prasad's bail application had been filed in the High Court saying that the RJD chief had completed half of the sentence in the case and hence he should be granted bail. The plea also cited the poor health condition of Lalu.