Laloo gets interim bail

The bench comprising Justice Nanavati, Justice S P Kurdukar and Justice K T Thomas in their brief order said that the petitioners were 8220;ordered to be released on their executing bail bond and sureties to the satisfaction of the special judge at Patna hearing the AHD scam cases.8221;

All the six accused, including the RJD President, who had surrendered before thespecial judge on October 28 last year and were subsequently sent to jail in judicial custody, were warned by the court not to induce or threaten the witnesses in connection with the trial.

However, the court rejected the request of the CBI counsel Additional Solicitor General C S Vaidyanathan to impose restriction on Laloo Prasad Yadav and R K Rana not to enter Bihar during the bail period.

The bench directed the Bihar Government to provide adequate security to CBI officials and witnesses, as and when required and also asked the State Government to cooperate with the investigating agency.

Vaidyanathan had alleged that the State Government was rendering no help to CBI and was not executing arrest warrants against senior bureaucrats accused in the case.

The apex court on December 18 had granted bail to former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra but had posted the hearing on other matters till January 5, when it had reserved its orders on the bail plea of Yadav and five others.

Yadav, Mishra and fiveothers were remanded to judicial custody on October 28 last year after they surrendered before the CBI court at Patna in connection with the fodder scam cases. Special judge S K Lal had rejected their plea for provisional bail and remanded them to judicial custody.

The Patna High Court rejected their bail plea on November 10, saying there was prima facie evidence against the accused in the case.

The Supreme Court, while hearing the bail pleas of the accused, had expressed serious concern over the preferential treatment given to Yadav and Mishra by the Bihar Government, which had lodged them at a guest house after notifying it as a jail.

The court had ordered their shifting to Beur Central Jail in Patna, where all other accused in the fodder scam were lodged and sought a compliance report from the Inspector General of Prisons before deciding on their bail.