RJD shocked over ailing party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav having to return to jail, may appeal in Supreme Court

Lalu, who underwent a fistula surgery and spent 21 days at the Mumbai hospital since June 17, has been suffering from a number of health complications.
Lalu Prasad Yadav (File | PTI)
Lalu Prasad Yadav (File | PTI)

PATNA: Bihar’s main Opposition party RJD was deeply shocked as Jharkhand High Court on Friday refused to extend the provisional bail of the ailing party chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and directed him to surrender before the CBI court by August 30.

The 70-year-old Yadav, a former Bihar chief minister who has been convicted in four cases of the fodder scam and handed jail terms for over 27 years, is currently under treatment at Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai. He has been out of jail since May 11 when provisional bail was granted to him on medical grounds and later extended thrice.

“We do not comment on judicial pronouncements, but the truth that is worrying all of us in the party is that his (Lalu’s) health remains critical and he badly needs medical treatment and care,” said RJD legislator and spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav. “We are yet to receive a copy of the high court order, and we will decide after studying it,” he added.

Sources said Tejashwi Yadav, who is the RJD chief’s younger son and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, started the process of consulting legal experts to appeal against the high court order in the Supreme Court and get the bail extended.

Tejashwi had visited his father at the Mumbai hospital earlier this week and tweeted on Monday: “Perturbed to see his falling health & increased infection. Praying that he may recover soon under the around-the-clock monitoring & continuous medical care of specialist doctors.”

Denial of bail extension for Lalu came with another bad news for the family as Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed the chargesheet against 12 persons, including Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and Tejashwi, in the Railways’ hotel tender scam on Friday.

Lalu, who underwent a fistula surgery and spent 21 days at the Mumbai hospital since June 17, has been suffering from a number of health complications including diabetes, heart problems, kidney infection, high blood pressure and hypertension. He had undergone an open heart surgery in August 2014.

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