Jharkhand HC asks jail authorities for report on Lalu Prasad flouting norms

Taking serious note of frequent reports of former Bihar chief minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad violating the jail manual and meeting unauthorized visitors while serving a prison term, the Jharkhand high court on Friday directed the Birsa Munda central jail authorities to furnish a detailed report in the matter.
Hearing a case pertaining to an appeal filed by Lalu against his conviction with regards to withdrawal of funds from the Dumka treasury, the court of Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh said the jailor should submit the report before the bench before the case is heard again on December 18.
The court has also asked the jail authorities about the provision to provide an attendant (sewadar) to a convict serving a sentence. It was brought to the notice of the high court that Lalu had an attendant at his service while he was under detention at Kelly’s Bungalow, the official residence of the Rims director, as a precautionary measure to protect him from Covid.
The CBI informed the court that violation of the jail manual and charges of trying to lure legislators in Bihar has been registered as a separate FIR against the ailing RJD chief. An audio clip of Lalu talking to a Bihar BJP legislator to influence the election of the Speaker of the assembly had gone viral last month.
The court was further informed that Lalu has been meeting party workers, supporters and several other visitors round the clock without any checks. After the matter hit national headlines, Lalu has now been shifted back to the paying ward in Rims.
A separate public interest litigation in the same matter was filed on Monday by Manish Kumar, a resident of Bihar and a law graduate. The petitioner has alleged jail manual violations and “misuse” of the bungalow of the Rims director by the Lalu. The PIL, however, is yet to be taken up by the court for hearing.