RANCHI: Jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is currently admitted to RIMS for over 2 years, becomes the ‘longest admitted patient’ to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
Notably, after being convicted by a Special CBI Court in Ranchi on December 23, 2017, in the second fodder scam case involving the illegal withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury, the 72-year-old RJD chief was lodged in Birsa Munda Central jail in Ranchi but was shifted to RIMS on August 29, 2018, looking at his deteriorating health conditions.
Since then, he has been admitted to the super-specialty wing, then to the paying ward, and finally was shifted to Director’s Bungalow of RIMS on August 5.
According to the senior staff of RIMS, Lalu Prasad has been admitted there for the longest period of time after the then minister Kamlesh Singh. Former Water Resource Minister Kamlesh Singh, who was accused in a disproportionate asset case lodged by the CBI, was also admitted to RIMS for over one year while undergoing treatment in custody.
Interestingly, the doctors under whose supervision he is being treated at RIMS also maintained that RJD chief is stable and their only concern is that his sugar level remains maintained and kidney keeps on functioning well.
“His condition is stable right now as both blood pressure and sugar level are under control. We cannot say it very bad or very good,” said Dr. Umesh Prasad. The only thing which has to be monitored is that his diabetes remains controlled and the kidney keeps on functioning well, he added.
When asked about his stay at RIMS for more than two years, Prasad said that it has to be looked after by the State Government and his duty is to treat him well till his stay in the hospital.
According to doctors, RJD chief is a chronic patient of hypertension, diabetes, heart, kidney, and several other ailments, and hence, he was shifted to Director’s bungalow to keep him away from the patients suffering from Covid-19.
Interestingly, RJD chief has paid more than Rs 7 lakh to RIMS administration as the charge of paying ward, but RIMS administration is to fix the charges for Kelly’s Bungalow, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Legal experts termed it a mockery of the law that despite three different instances where the Jharkhand High Court has ordered against a prolonged stay in RIMS, the jailed RJD chief is living a lavish lifestyle at the Director’s Bungalow.
“It is nothing but a mockery of the law. Despite three judicial orders passed by Jharkhand High Court earlier in this regard, Lalu Yadav has shamelessly been lodged in Director’s bungalow,” said senior advocate in Jharkhand High Court Rajiv Kumar. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also been filed in Jharkhand High Court demanding to shift RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav back to Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.
Meanwhile, taking a dig at RJD Chief State BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha said that it is beyond anybody’s understanding that why he has been admitted to RIMS despite the fact that Birsa Munda Central Jail is less than five kilometre away from there.
“In case of an emergency, the doctors could reach there within minutes or Lalu ji may be shifted to RIMS easily. Again, it is impossible that in spite of expert doctors roped in for his treatment, he did not recover in the last two years,” said the BJP Spokesperson.
He demanded that a medical board must be constituted once again to assess his health conditions which must be put in the public domain.