Lalu Yadav's health stable, says Jharkhand govt; doctor gets show cause notice for comment on RJD leader's kidney ailment

Ranchi: The health condition of incarcerated RJD leader Lalu Prasad is stable and he does not face any medical risks, Jharkhand prisons department said Saturday, even as the RIMS authorities served a show cause to the doctor attending him for his “unauthorised” statement that Prasad’s kidney was functioning only at “25 percent capacity”. Prasad, who is serving jail term in connection with the multi-crore rupee fodder scam is presently staying at Ranchi-based Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). Amid mounting criticism of the RJD president violating jail manuals, the septuagenarian politician was recently returned to paying ward of the hospital from the bungalow of RIMS Director. “Lalu Prasad’s health is stable and he does not face any medical risks,” Virendra Bhusan, Inspectpor General of prisons of Jharkhand told PTI-Bhasha citing latest report from RIMS. The RIMS authorities have taken strong exception to reports published in media quoting senior physician Umesh Prasad attending the RJD leader that he faced serious kidney aliment which is working only at “25 percent capacity” and issued a show cause to him for the “unauthorised” remarks. He has replied to the notice saying that he did not make any comment in the media and things have been wrongly attributed to him, RIMS director Kameshwar Prasad told PTI-Bhasha. “We are looking into it,” he said. “Prasad’s health is stable and in case of any problem a medical board will look into it,” the director said. RIMS spokesman and additional director Dr Waghmare Krishna Prasad said that a sweeping comment has been madeon Prasad’s kidney condition without taking opinion of an expert. The hospital Nephrology department also confirmed that no opinion was sought from them in this connection. Notably during hearing in the Jharkhand High Court on 11 December, the CBI had told the bench of Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh that the RJD leader’s health is okay and he should be transfered to the Birsa Munda jail. The premier investigating agency’s lawyer had also alleged that Prasad was violating jail manuals in RIMS. Following this, the court had put off hearing on his bail application tentatively for 22 January next year. The former Bihar chief minister remains incarcerated due to pendency of his bail application in connection with illegal withdrawal of money from Dumka treasury. He is lodged in Ranchi since December 2017 after his conviction in cases of the fodder scam in the Animal Husbandry department in Bihar in early 90s. Prasad had hit the national headlines recently after BJP leaders had complained that he was meeting people freely in RIMS director’s residence during Bihar polls. Former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi had made public a video in which Prasad was heard luring a BJP MLA to absent himself during floor test of the new NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar last month. Amidst mounting criticism, the authorities moved Prasad from the director’s bungalow to the paying ward of the hospital. The Jharkhand BJP spokesman Pratul Sahdeo said that Prasad’s doctor remarks in media on his health was against the rules. “He has been trying to help Prasad by making wrong comments on his health. CBI should probe his role in this connection,” Shahdeo said.