Nine cops posted for Lalu Prasad Yadav’s security test positive for Covid-19

RANCHI: The health of incarcerated former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav came under the scanner on Friday after nine police constables posted in his security tested positive for Covid 19 late on Thursday night.
The 73-year-old president of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the principal opposition party in Bihar Assembly, is under treatment at the Jharkhand government run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) in Ranchi since July 2018 for kidney and other ailments. He was sentenced to jail after being found guilty in several fodder scam cases by a special CBI court in 2018.
On August 6, he was moved from the paying ward to the posh Kelly’s Bungalow on the hospital campus, which serves as the residence of the hospital’s director to reduce the chances of him being infected. The bungalow is lying vacant after former director Dr DK Singh quit the job in July. The interim director, Dr, Manju Gari, is yet to move in.
The BJP had slammed the move and claimed Lalu, who is a jail inmate, was being given VIP treatment by the coalition government of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and RJD under chief minister Hemant Soren by flouting norms and political pressure.
“All the nine police personnel did not come in direct contact with Lalu. They were posted at the police picquet outside the bungalow,” an official in Rims management told the TOI.
Dr Umesh Prasad, Lalu’s doctor and a professor of medicine at Rims said: “We have not recommended any Covid 19 test for Lalu Ji as the police personnel living in the police out post outside the Kelly’s Bungalow. We have urged the hospital management to replace the infected policemen.”
Earlier in July, Lalu was sampled for Covid 19 test weeks after an assistant sub-inspector posted in his security tested positive after returning from Bihar after a family function. Days later, three of Lalu’s sevadars (domestic helps) were also found to be infected. Lalu was tested negative on July 26.
Meanwhile, with Bihar Assembly polls approaching, RJD workers, enthusiasts and ticket aspirants are seen doing the rounds of Rims to get a glimpse of their leader. Earlier, the conduct of state government came under scanner after Lalu was photographed speaking over phone in his paying ward room and hosting unsanctioned meetings with several political functionaries. In July, JMM had announced to contest in 12 seats in Bihar polls in an alliance with the RJD.