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Laloo gets bail

Former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, who has been in judicial custody for more than four months, was granted bail today by the Patna high court in connection with the Rs 9.5 billion fodder scam.

Justice P K Sareen passed the order after hearing the bail petition for the past three days. The court had yesterday reserved its judgment in the case.

Yadav, Justice Sareen said, was not directly involved in the fradulent withdrawals in the animal husbandry department.

As the inquiry had been completed in the case and the Central Bureau of Investigation had filed a chargesheet in the designated court, the judge said Yadav could no longer tamper with the evidence.

Justice Sareen, referring to a Supreme Court judgment, said there was a difference in regular and anticipatory bail. He added that the CBI's plea that Yadav -- who has been in custody since July 30 -- should not be granted regular bail as his anticipatory bail had been rejected once by the same court was untenable.

Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has meanwhile offered to quit her post if her husband Laloo Yadav wished to replace her.

After being elected a member of the state legislative council on Thursday, Rabri Devi said she would not hesitate to vacate the post as she feels it was meant for her husband.

Referring to the bail granted to her husband, the chief minister said, ''he has outlived his period in jail.'' "I got a double victory today,'' she added.

UNI

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