Special CBI court orders release of Lalu Prasad's passport for renewal

RANCHI: A special CBI court Tuesday ordered the release of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's passport for renewal, his counsel said.

Prasad had appealed before the court for release of his passport in order to renew it, citing the need to travel abroad for a possible kidney transplant.

"The court has ordered the release of his passport. We are likely to get it tomorrow. Lalu Prasad will also pray before the court in four other matters pertaining to fodder scam for allowing renewal of the passport," his counsel Prabhat Kumar told PTI.

Once the passport is renewed, it will be deposited with the court and Prasad will apply for its release whenever he gets an appointment for treatment abroad, Kumar said.

The 73-year-old RJD chief was on April 22 granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in the Doranda treasury case involving embezzlement of over Rs 139 crore in which a CBI special court had sentenced him to five years in prison.