HC rejects Laloo Prasad’s bail plea in fodder scam

The Jharkhand High Court today threw out the bail petition of former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav, saying it did not find merit in the plea.

After the court's decision, some RJD workers shouted slogans and expressed unhappiness over the denial of bail to their party chief. They were escorted out of the high court premises.

Lalu Prasad has been in Birsa Munda central jail since 3 October, after being convicted in of the fodder scam by special CBI judge P K Singh.

The Central Bureau of Investigation court held Lalu Prasad guilty on 30 September along with 45 others in the case. He was subsequently sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs25 lakh. The conviction has been challenged in the high court (see: Lalu gets 5-year jail term in fodder scam).

The CBI completed arguments on his bail petition on Wednesday and the Jharkhand High Court bench of Justice R R Prasad then reserved judgment. Lalu Prasad completed one month in Birsa Munda Central Jail Wednesday.

Jagannath Mishra was granted two months' provisional bail on medical grounds on 25 October.

On 30 September Lalu Prasad, another former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra, Janata Dal (United) Lok Sabha member Jagdish Sharma and others were convicted in the fodder scam case, which is related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs37.70 crore from Chaibasa treasury during 1994-1995 when Yadav was the chief minister.

Disqualified JD(U) MP Jagdish Sharma's bail petition is to be heard by the court today.