Fodder scam: Lalu walks out of jail, says will fight communal forces

Ranchi: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was released from the Ranchi prison on Monday after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in a fodder scam case.

Lalu was welcomed by a huge crowd of RJD supporters outside the jail.
Lalu thanked his well-wishers after coming out of the jail and also lashed out at anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare. Lalu said Anna was trying to create a structure above the judiciary. "Would like to appeal to all secular parties to come together and not let the country divide," Lalu added.

The apex court had on Friday granted bail to the RJD chief in the fodder scam case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury during his tenure as chief minister. However, he couldn't be released on Friday as the order didn't reach the special CBI court that had to issue the necessary release orders.

Lalu had earlier got bail in four other fodder scam cases, in which he was concurrently in judicial custody after he was convicted by a special CBI court in a fodder scam case on September 30, he said.

He was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 25 lakh on October 3. During jail custody, Lalu appeared before different CBI courts through video conferencing in four other fodder cases for alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 97 lakh from Deogarh Treasury, Rs 3.97 crore from Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda Treasury.