Lalu’s kingship intact in jail, spends leisure time with debates over snacks: Report

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been sent to Hotwar jail in Ranchi, does not seem to be serving as a prisoner. If reports are to be believed, the former Bihar chief minister’s kingship is intact despite the prisoner tag on him.

According to Jharkhand-based Prabhat Khabar, Lalu is spending a leisure time in the upper division cell of the prison, with rounds of tea and discussions with some fellow politicians who are in the same jail.

The publication quoted jail sources as saying that Lalu’s day in the prison starts with reading newspaper, following which he sits with fellow politicians and discusses all the news in detail. The discussions also revolve around the politics of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Since the mess of the upper division cell is located near his cell, rounds of tea and snacks are served throughout the day. The RJD chief takes rest for sometime, following which all the inmates enjoy a TV watching session inside the same cell.

The report says that other politicians who join Lalu in the cell are former MP RK Rana, Jagdish Sharma, Sawna Lakra, Raja Peter and Kamal Kishore Bhagat.

A stock of Lalu’s favourite foods like sweet corn, green peas, spinach, brinjal and green chilly have also been stocked in the mess of the cell. Basmati rice, arhar dal and sankat mochan temple prasad have also been sent for Lalu from his residence.

A special CBI court had on Saturday convicted the RJD chief and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced, while acquitting six others including another former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra.

Special judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.

The court is slated to pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3.

Soon after the court's verdict, Lalu's younger son Tejashwi Yadav had said that the fodder scam verdict depicts a conspiracy by BJP and Bihar CM Nitish to defame the RJD chief.

"We will challenge the verdict in the High Court. The process of bail will take place once the High Court is opened. Today`s conviction shows a conspiracy by the BJP and Nitish Kumar to defame Lalu Prasad and put him behind bars. This is not the final judgment as we still have High Court and Supreme Court and the final verdict will be given by the Apex Court," Tejashwi had said.