The Jharkhand government on Wednesday ordered a probe into RJD president Lalu Prasad allegedly telephoning a NDA MLA in Bihar asking him to abstain from voting during election to Speaker of the assembly. Inspector General, Prisons, Virendra Bhusan told PTI- Bhasha that he has asked Ranchi Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Superintendent of Birsa Munda jail to inquire into the matter and if the allegations are found true initiate lawful action.

The jail IG said he ordered an inquiry after himself hearing the purported audio clip of the conversation between Lalu Prasad and the legislator. Mr Bhusan said the jail manuals does not allow use of phone or mobile during judicial custody and if the allegations were found correct it would be enquired as from where the mobile phone came to Lalu Prasad and who is responsible for it.

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He also said any political talks are prohibited when a person is in judicial custody. The jail IG said Lalu Prasad is in RIM’s Director’s bungalow with the permission of the district administration.

The Ranchi district administration takes decision about visitors to Lalu Prasad and other issues linked to it. A PIL has already been filed in the Jharkhand High Court seeking a proper examination of Lalu Prasad’s ailment and sending him back to the jail.

Former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who had made a sensational claim on the previous night that Lalu Prasad was having access to a mobile phone through which he was calling up NDA legislators, followed it up with an audio clip of a purported conversation between the RJD supremo, who is in Ranchi, and the saffron party MLA. Modi shared the one and a half minute long clip on his official Twitter handle wherein Lalu Prasad can be heard speaking, in his unique voice and distinct accent, to the Pirpainti MLA Lalan Paswan.

The BJP MLA during the day confirmed the veracity of the audio clip and said the conversation took place in the very presence of Sushil Modi, apparently not in knowledge of the wily RJD supremo. The RJD supremo is in jail in Ranchi since December 2017 after conviction in cases of multi-crore rupees fodder scam.

On health ground he was admitted to Rajendra Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). Recently, he was shifted to RIMS Director’s bungalow after his aides were found infected with coronavirus.