RANCHI: Jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is likely to sacrifice goats as offerings to Goddess Durga on the occasion of ‘Navratra’, amid allegations that the RIMS director’s bungalow, where he is lodged, has been turned into RJD office for the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar.
Earlier on Friday, RJD leader Syed Ali had sparked controversy by uploading photographs of him meeting Lalu Yadav at the bungalow, claiming that he took his blessings and updated him on the current situation of Bihar elections.
The RJD chief, who was admitted to the paying ward of RIMS in Ranchi, was recently shifted to the official residence of the RIMS director, also known as ‘Kelly Bungalow’, located inside the hospital campus.
On Friday, two goats were seen inside the ‘Kelly Bungalow’ by his self-proclaimed foster son Irfan Ansari, who has been taking care of him following the court order.
Though the jail authorities claimed to have no information in this regard, State police has ordered a probe after the matter became public. “When the matter was put to my notice, I have asked Sadar DSP to look into the matter and submit a report. Action will be taken accordingly,” said Ranchi SSP Surendra Jha.
The BJP, reacting strongly against the move, has alleged rampant violation of jail manual by RJD chief while his stay in the directors’ bungalow. “Rampant violation of jail manual indicates that everything is being on the behest of the state government. Kelly Bungalow has been turned into a picnic spot by Lalu Yadav, where anyone coming from Bihar is being allowed to meet without any knowledge of the jail authorities,” said state BJP Spokesperson Pradeep Sinha.
This is just a mockery of the law that a jail inmate, undergoing sentencing in several fodder scam cases, is being treated like a state guest by Hemant Soren government, he added.
Referring to the probe ordered by Ranchi SSP, Sinha asked “What is the need for a probe if CCTV has been installed in the Kelly Bungalow. A police probe is just an eyewash. CBI must put all these facts before the High Court requesting it to shift him back into the jail," he said.
Notably, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also been filed in the Jharkhand High Court demanding to shift Lalu Prasad back to Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi. In the PIL filed by one Manish Kumar, it has been alleged that the RJD chief, sitting in the director’s bungalow, has been actively influencing the politics of Bihar which is going for Assembly polls very soon.
Prasad, so far, has been convicted in four out of the five cases related to multi-crore fodder scam cases -- Chaibasa Treasury (RC20A/96) on September 30, 2013, another Chaibasa Treasury (RC68A/96) on January 24, 2018, Deoghar Treasury (RC 64A/96) on February 23, 2018, and Dumka Treasury (RC38A/96) on February 19. The RJD chief has already secured bail in cases, while a bail application related to Dumka Treasury is still pending in the High Court.