Ranchi: Jharkhand High Court on Saturday granted bail to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in fodder scam case related to fraudulent withdrawal from Dumka Treasury, paving way for his release from jail. The bail was allowed to Prasad by Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh.
The court directed him neither to leave the country without permission nor change his address and mobile number during the bail period. Prasad had acquired bail in three other cases of the fodder scam and was waiting for judgement in the instant case related to illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from the Dumka treasury in 90s to come out of the jail.
The official Twitter handle of RJD confirmed the news. The court had earlier rejected the politician's bail plea in February.
Senior Congress leader Kabil Sibal, who attended the court sessions virtually, said that Lalu Prasad Yadav has already served half of the tenure of his punishment in jail and must be granted bail on health grounds.
READ: Lalu Yadav bail plea pushed to February 5
Anant Kumar Vij, the lawyer representing the RJD leader said, "We have to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakhs and some security amount to obtain the bail."
The formalities of furnishing bail bonds and submitting papers before the court might take 2 to 3 days. The leader's bail plea was however opposed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The septuagenarian RJD supremo was airlifted to AIIMS New Delhi in January last in view of his bad health.
READ: RJD leader Lalu Yadav's condition stable
The RJD was in power in Bihar with Prasad as the chief minister when the Rs 900-crore fodder scam which pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of money from the treasuries in the Animal Husbandry department in the early 1990s, had allegedly taken place.
He has been convicted for fraudulent withdrawal of money from the Deoghar, Dumka and two Chaibasa treasuries situated in Jharkhand.
Here are the details of the fodder scam cases:
CASE NUMBER 1
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore and Rs 33.67 crore from Chaibasa treasury
* The sentence was pronounced on October 3, 2013
* In both the cases, Lalu Prasad Yadav was jailed for 5 years each
* On October 9, 2020, he gets bail from the High Court
CASE NUMBER 2
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 84.53 lakh from Deoghar treasury
* The sentence was pronounced on December 23, 2017
* Lalu Prasad Yadav gets 3.6 years jail term
* He gets bail from High Court on July 12, 2019
CASE NUMBER 3
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury
* The sentence was pronounced on March 24, 2018
* Lalu Prasad Yadav gets 7-7 year jail under two sections and Rs 60 lakh fine
* He will apply for bail after November 9, 2020
CASE NUMBER 4
* Illegal withdrawal of Rs 139 crore from Doranda treasury
* The case is being heard in the Special CBI Court
* The matter is in the court of Special Judge SK Shashi
READ: Leaders wish speedy recovery to Lalu Prasad Yadav
With PTI inputs
