Jagannath Mishra granted bail

The Jharkhand High Court today granted four-week provisional bail for treatment to former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra, who is in jail after being convicted in a fodder scam case last month. Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh granted provisional bail to Mishra till March 15 after a medical report said he is suffering from cancer and required a treatment which is not available here. The 80-year-old former chief minister, who surrendered on February 5 to serve the jail term, was directed by the high court to surrender on or before March 16 this year. The Superintendent of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, has written to the court that Mishra needs super specialist chemotherapy, which is not available in the RIMS.

He has been under treatment of a doctor at a private hospital of Gurgaon in Haryana. On January 24, Special CBI judge S S Prasad awarded Mishra five years rigorous imprisonment in connection with a fodder scam case involving fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.62 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury in early 1990s. However, because of a death in his family, the three-time chief minister was not present in the court on January 24 when he, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and 48 others were convicted. He surrendered later on February 5 before the court to serve the jail term awarded to him.

Courtesy: PTI