Lalu granted bail in treasury case, to remain in jail as another case pending

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has been granted bail by Jharkhand High Court in the Chaibasa treasury case related to fodder scam. However, he will remain in jail since the Dumka treasury case is still pending. Lalu has been undergoing treatment in custody at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

The fodder scam involves fraudulent withdrawals amounting to Rs 33.67 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the chief minister of Bihar.

The Jharkhand High Court has granted bail to Lalu Prasad Yadav on the surety of Rs 50,000. Lalu Prasad Yadav has also been slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh by the court. A bail plea was filed after the RJD chief completed half of the term i.e., 30 months in the Chaibasa Treasury case.

Lalu Prasad Yadav now needs to secure bail in excess withdrawal case from the Dumka Treasury. He was convicted for seven years in two different sections for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore.

Lalu Prasad Yadav is already on bail in the Deoghar Treasury case for excess withdrawal of Rs 79 lakh. He was convicted and sentenced to 3.5 years.

His lawyer has reckoned that Lalu Prasad Yadav will complete half of his term in the Dumka Treasury case in the last week of October or the first week of November. In the Dumka Treasury case, Lalu Prasad Yadav was sentenced to seven years in jail under two different sections for excess and fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore.

Lalu Prasad Yadav is serving jail terms in multiple fodder scam cases. Out of the five cases in Jharkhand, Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted in four different cases -- 2 of Chaibasa, 1 of Deoghar, and 1 of Dumka -- while a trial is on in Doranda Treasury case.