Four more cases pending: Lalu moves CBI courts for judicial custody

In a strategic move, jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday filed separate petitions in four other fodder scam cases pending against him in different CBI courts, urging them to take him in judicial custody. Bedanti Saran reports.

In a strategic move, jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday filed separate petitions in four other fodder scam cases pending against him in different CBI courts, urging them to take him in judicial custody.

On September 30, Prasad was convicted by a CBI court in one of the five cases against him in the multi-crore fodder scam. He was sent to the Birsa Munda Central Jail after being sentenced to five years of imprisonment in the case.

Admitting the petitions, the courts took him into judicial custody in these cases as well.

According to legal experts, the RJD chief has made a tactical move because the time spent in court custody would be deducted from his final sentence, if convicted in these cases.

His lawyer Prabhat Kumar said before Monday’s conviction, his client had already served 288 days at different points in time.

“These 288 days would be finally deducted from the five years’ imprisonment he has been awarded after conviction in one of the five cases (RC 20 (A)/96) on September 30,” Kumar said.