UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu’s bail hearing postponed as prosecution fails to produce case diary

A special court could not hear the bail plea of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Saturday as the prosecution failed to produce the case diary even ten days after he was arrested for alleged forgery of documents of buses meant for ferrying stranded migrants, the party said.

The special court for cases involving MPs and MLAs has postponed the hearing to June 1.

"The hearing...has been postponed. The next date of hearing is Monday. The case diary was not produced before the court, as a result arguments could not be made," UP Congress media convenor Lalan Kumar said.

Hitting out at the BJP dispensation in the state, Lalan Kumar said, "The government is deliberately delaying the hearing, and wants to scuttle the voice of a leader like Ajay Kumar Lallu, who fights for the poor, farmers, downtrodden and the oppressed."

Lallu was arrested on May 20 on allegations that he provided false documents regarding buses for ferrying migrant workers back to Uttar Pradesh during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

He was arrested twice on that day -- first in Agra for sitting on a dharna against the Yogi Adityanath administration for not granting permission for the buses, arranged for the migrants by the Congress, to enter the state.

He was granted bail by an Agra court and released, but was arrested again there in connection with another case filed in Lucknow regarding forgery of documents of buses.