Lalu Prasad being treated at AIIMS for infection, high blood sugar

NEW DELHI: Lalu Prasad is suffering from mild localised infection and high blood sugar, officials at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The RJD leader, who is serving a prison sentence for his role in the fodders scam, had received permission from a court to receive treatment at AIIMS.

Lalu had been admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, the city in which he is serving his sentence, on March 17. Reports at the time had said he had been taken to the hospital after complaining of breathlessness. However, there had been little clarity on the nature of the illness. He had been referred to AIIMS for further treatment.

A court in Ranchi had given permission for Lalu to be taken to Delhi for treatment at AIIMS on Tuesday.

"Lalu Prasad was referred from RIMS Ranchi to AIIMS New Delhi. He is admitted under Department of Medicine, and is also being attended to by the other concerned departments. He has mild localised infection and high blood sugar. He is responding to treatment, and is stable," said an AIIMS spokesperson.

Lalu had been handed his fourth conviction in cases relation to the fodder scam. He had been given two seven-year sentences and a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

Judge Shiv Pal Singh had held the former Bihar Chief Minister and 18 others guilty in the fourth case. Twelve others had been in the case, which pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from the Dumka treasury between December 1995 and January 1996. There were a total of 47 accused in the fourth fodder scam, fourteen of whom had died during the course of the trial, while two had turned approvers.

Lalu has already been convicted in three other cases of the scam which took place when he was the chief minister of Bihar. He has been in Birsa Munda jail at Ranchi since December 23, 2017, after being convicted in the second case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of money from Deogarh treasury.

He was convicted on September 30, 2013 in the Chaibasa case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore in the 1990s. He was awarded five years prison term in the case following which he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha and barred from contesting elections for six years after completion of jail term.

In the second case, Lalu was convicted in connection with fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury in the 1990s. He was awarded 3.5 years sentence in the case on December 23, 2017.

In another Chaibasa case of Rs 37.62 crore fraud, Lalu got five years prison term on January 24, 2018, while Mishra was acquitted in two fodder cases while being convicted in two cases.