Bihar election 2020: Visitors barred from meeting Lalu Yadav in Ranchi hospital, say jail authorities

Lalu is suffering from different ailments and is undergoing treatment at the RIMS in Ranchi.

There has been a flurry of activity in the Ranchi premises of jailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav as the elections in Bihar draw closer. Several RJD leaders have been visiting Ranchi to meet Lalu – meetings which have drawn the attention of opposition leaders and allegations of violating the jail manual.

The jail administration also took note of the visitors and has now decided that no outsiders will be allowed to meet Lalu.

Three magistrates have been appointed to oversee the daily routine of Lalu who is suffering from different ailments and is undergoing treatment at the RIMS in Ranchi. He has been shifted to 1 Kelly Bungalow inside the premises of the medical college and hospital. The bungalow is the official residence of RIMS Director.

The three magistrates will work in three different shifts so that round-the-clock monitoring could be done. No outsiders will be allowed to visit Lalu at the current facility.

Ranchi’s new deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan has issued a specific order to SP. Ranjan has asked to place under quarantine anyone coming to Ranchi from Bihar without obtaining a government order.

The decision comes after several RJD leaders were seen visiting Lalu regularly in the recent weeks. The numbers of guests had soared in the last few days.

The jail IG had taken cognisance of the visitors and wrote to the DC. The IG said that it was a violation of the jail manual and sought to place an appropriate mechanism in place.

The bungalow of the RIMS Director had virtually turned into the RJD headquarters with several party leaders visiting Lalu regularly for party-related work in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. Last week, Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav visited him with his supporters. Tej Pratap was later booked by the Ranchi administration for violating the lockdown norms.

Bihar is slated to go to polls in October-November. The RJD is currently led by Lalu’s younger son Tejashwi Yadav. Lalu will be missing from action this election as he is serving life term in multiple fodder scam cases.