Lalu Prasad alleges 'political conspiracy' as AIIMS discharges him

NEW DELHI: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, serving a jail term in fodder scam cases, left AIIMS on a wheelchair this afternoon after being discharged by the hospital, which said his condition had improved significantly, even as his party termed the move a "conspiracy to murder him".

The Rashtriya Janata Dal president had written to the AIIMS director, asking that his treatment be continued at the hospital till he recovered.

AIIMS, in a statement, said, "Lalu Prasad was referred from Ranchi Medical College to AIIMS for management of his acute medical condition. He has improved significantly and as per advice of the medical board constituted for his treatment, he is being referred back to Ranchi Medical College for management of his chronic issues. He is currently stable and is fit to travel."


Supporters of the RJD president created ruckus in the hospital premises protesting the AIIMS decision, with his party alleging that there is a conspiracy to "murder" their leader by "forcing him out" of the premier hospital even though he continues to suffer from various ailments.

In the melee, the supporters broke a glass door resulting in injury of a security guard, and abused administration officials, including the director, hospital sources alleged, adding a police complaint has been lodged against unidentified people over the matter.

Sources said the medical team formed to decide on the course of his treatment, had decided to discharge Prasad on Saturday and had prepared the discharge summary, but the RJD chief requested them that he be kept in the hospital till Monday as he wanted to travel by Ranchi Rajdhani Express.

Prasad left AIIMS on a wheelchair around 3.25 pm today.

Earlier in the day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi met the RJD chief at the AIIMS and enquired about his health.

Prasad had been admitted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on March 17 over complaints of uneasiness while he was lodged at the Birsa Munda Jail. He has been serving a jail term since December 23.

On March 29, he was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here for specialised treatment. A medical team, comprising six doctors, was set up to decide on the course of his treatment.

Prasad, who was kept in a VIP room of the old private ward of the hospital, wrote to the director of AIIMS, saying that he should not be discharged from AIIMS, Delhi, and sent back to RIMS which does not have proper facilities required for his treatment.

Citing various ailments such as heart problems, diabetes, kidney infection, high blood pressure, the RJD supremo, in his letter to the director, said doctors should not act under pressure from "certain individuals or political parties".

Urging the AIIMS director to allow him to continue his treatment at the institute till his recovery, Prasad said the AIIMS administration will be held responsible if something untoward happens to him after he is sent back to the hospital in Ranchi.

His party MP Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav alleged that the AIIMS appeared to be acting under the pressure of central agencies like the CBI.

"It seems there is a conspiracy to murder him. Why they are discharging him when he is not fit yet," Yadav said.

The former Bihar chief minister has been convicted in four fodder scam cases since 2013 -- the latest being the Dumka treasury case, in which a special CBI court sentenced him to 14 years in jail.