PIL in Jharkhand HC over alleged violations of jail manual by Lalu Yadav

By Rizwan Arif
Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], Aug 31 : A public interest litigation (PIL) was on Monday filed in the Jharkhand High Court against the alleged jail manual violations and "misuse" of the bungalow of RIMS Hospital director by former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav.
The PIL, filed by Bihar resident and law graduate Manish Kumar, alleged that despite being a convict, Lalu Prasad Yadav was meeting several people frequently, which it said is a clear violation of the jail manual.
The plea made the Central government through home secretary, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Ranchi Superintendent of Police (SP) and the State of Jharkhand through its Chief Secretary respondents in the matter.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was earlier shifted to the residence of the director of the RIMS hospital, where he had been admitted for months due to poor health, to prevent exposure from the COVID-19 virus.
After the news surfaced, Jharkhand BJP accused the state government of giving Lalu Yadav special treatment because the RJD is in the coalition government ruling the state.
Yadav, who has been in prison since December 2017, was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in 2018 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and seven years under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the fodder scam case.
Notably, both the sentences are being served consecutively.
The case pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.5 crore from the Dumka treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996 when Lalu served as the State's Chief Minister.