Jharkhand HC cancels Lalu Yadav's provisional bail

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday rejected the provisional bail of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and directed him to surrender by August 30.

The court was hearing Lalu Prasad's plea seeking regular bail in connection with the fodder scam cases. During the hearing on August 10, the court had observed that he could not continue to stay at home while on provisional bail.

Lalu Prasad was initially granted six weeks' provisional bail in May to undergo medical treatment. The relief was subsequently extended by the court.

The former Bihar Chief Minister has been lodged at Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi after being convicted in a fodder scam case in December 2017. He was subsequently convicted in two more fodder scam cases in January and March 2018 and was awarded a total sentence of 14 years in those cases.

The fodder scam relates to the fraudulent withdrawal of government funds from Bihar's animal husbandry department during the 1990s, when Lalu Prasad was the state's Chief Minister.

Lalu Prasad was first convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and sentenced to five years in prison.

The scam came to light in the 1990s and involved the alleged illegal withdrawal of large sums of money from government treasuries through fraudulent bills and other irregularities. Following directions from the Patna High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation.

The latest High Court order means Lalu Prasad will have to return to custody by August 30 unless he obtains further relief from a higher court.