Patna: In a major setback for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief MinisterLalu Prasad Yadav, the Enforcement Director (ED) on Friday filed a charge-sheet against him, his wife Rabri Devi, younger son Tejashwi Yadav and 13 others in connection with a Railway tender scam.
“Now, he (Lalu) will undergo treatment at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi. He will be brought back from Mumbai’s Asian Heart Institute (AHI) where he is currently admitted,” said Lalu’s lawyer Prabhat Kumar while speaking to ANI.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had in July 2017 registered a corruption case against Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi and others for allegedly granting favours to a private hotel company through IRCTC when Lalu was the railway minister from 2004 to 2009.
The investigating agency alleged that there were irregularities in awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of the BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri.
The RJD supremo was granted six weeks provisional bail for his treatment in May which was later extended by the Jharkhand High Court.
The RJD chief was admitted to the Asian Heart Institute (AHI) in Mumbai after his health condition deteriorated late on Monday, following which Lalu had sought the extenuation of his bail extension on medical grounds. However, the High Court rejected his request and asked him to surrender by August 30.
Prasanta Patnaik