A magistrate was stationed at Kelly’s Bungalow on RIMS campus where RJD supremo Lalu Prasad has being lodged on Friday to ensure there is no violation of the jail manual in the form of unauthorised meetings of party workers.
The move comes in the wake of a letter from jail IG Birendra Bhushan, directing the Ranchi district administration to tighten the security ring at the bungalow in Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in view regular reports of violations pertaining to the number of visitors who come to meet the RJD chief.
“Three magistrates have been deployed round-the-clock to ensure no one tends to violate any prescribed rules. Each magistrate will be on duty on eight-hour shifts,” said Ranchi deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan.
RJD workers and supporters celebrate Lalu Prasad's 73rd birthday at RIMS by cutting a 73-pound cake on RIMS campus in Ranchi on June 11, 2020 Telegraph picture
Ever since Lalu was shifted at this sprawling bungalow, also known as director’s bungalow, in the first week of August from the main hospital campus to ensure he does not infected by the coronavirus, hordes of RJD workers both from Jharkhand and Bihar have been regularly camping outside in the hope of meeting him.
Of late, several MLAs and councillors from Bihar have been coming to Ranchi to meet him for lobbying for tickets ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, turning the bungalow into a mini-RJD camp office.
Opposition BJP on the other hand has been criticising the Hemant Soren government for turning a blind eye to such violations for political gains ahead of the Bihar polls as the JMM was looking to contest in alliance with RJD.
In the last week, over a dozen ticket aspirants, along with their supporters in cars and vans, drove down from Patna to Ranchi to meet Lalu. Among those who have come include, film actor Ali Khan and RJD MLA from Barachatti Samta Devi, who has been quarantined for 14 days in Ranchi following a hue and cry by the Opposition in Bihar.
Lalu’s son, Tej Pratap, also isited Ranchi to meet his father along with a posse of supporters in the last week of August, prompting the district administration to later file an FIR against him for lockdown violations and staying at a hotel illegally.