Fodder scam convict, Lalu Prasad Yadav, surrenders before CBI court
Former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav surrendered before a CBI court in Ranchi today. Earlier, Yadav had sought an extension of his bail on health grounds but the Jharkhand High Court rejected his plea. The court observed that Yadav's health condition wasn't life-threatening and he could apply for a fresh bail plea at the time of his surgery.
At Mumbai's super-speciality hospital Asian Heart Institute, Yadav was undergoing treatment for anal fistula. His counsel Prabhat Kumar told Jharkhand HC that doctors had advised him three more surgeries and that he hadn't recovered completely. On this, Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh said he can continue his treatment in Ranchi and asked the leader to surrender by August 30.
On May 11, Yadav was given provisional bail for six weeks, which was extended till August 20. After his surrender, Kumar said the director of Asian Heart Institute will do a thorough check up on Yadav and inform the court about his condition.
Doctors of Asian Heart Institute (Mumbai) will do a check up of Lalu Prasad Yadav and then inform Court about his condition: Prabhat Kumar, Yadav's Lawyer after Yadav surrendered before Court earlier today. pic.twitter.com/Ob3enmpHCL
— ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2018
Yadav was convicted months ago. He illegally withdrew money from government treasuries in undivided Bihar in the 1990s, when RJD was in power. Since December '17, Yadav is lodged in Birsa Munda jail after his conviction in Deoghar treasury case. In January he got 5-year-jail in Chaibasa treasury case, and in March was convicted in yet another fodder scam case.
Earlier in the day, Yadav condemned the arrests of five activists. On Tuesday, they were arrested after near-simultaneous raids for their alleged Maoist links and role in Bhima Koregaon violence. Speaking on this, Yadav said, "This country is moving towards dictatorship. The arrests of the five intellectuals show that the country is moving towards emergency and I condemn it."
