New Delhi, April 9:The CBI on Tuesday opposed in the Supreme Court the bail plea of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is serving a jail term in connection with fodder scam cases, saying he is likely to indulge in political activities ahead of the general election.
The CBI, which sought the nod from a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to file its response to the bail plea of Yadav, said the RJD leader is likely to get involved in political activities and misuse the grant of bail ahead of the election.The probe agency said in any case Yadav had been in a hospital ward for over eight months and was indulging in political activities.
“During the period in which the petitioner remained in hospital, he is not only granted a special paying ward with all facilities but is virtually conducting his political activities from there which would be clear from the list of visitors,” the CBI said in its reply.The agency said Yadav who claimed to be so unwell that he could not remain in jail had now suddenly become physically fit and is seeking bail.
“It is submitted that simultaneous raising of pleas for bail on medical grounds and bail to guide the party and to carry out all essential responsibilities as a party president in the ensuing Lok Sabha election are mutually contradictory and manifest that in the garb of bail on medical grounds the petitioner in essence wants to pursue his political activities which is impermissible in law,” the CBI said.
The RJD chief, currently lodged at Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, has challenged the January 10 verdict of the Jharkhand High Court dismissing his bail plea.
The three cases in which Prasad has been convicted are related to the over Rs 900-crore fodder scam, which pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of money from the treasuries in the Animal Husbandry department in the early 1990s, when Jharkhand was part of Bihar. PTI
