Former Bihar chief-minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder sister expired early in the morning today. This has set off speculation whether or not the beleaguered leader would seek ‘parole’ to emerge out of prison to attend his only sister’s funeral.

Lalu was sentenced to serve three-and-a-half years in prison in the second fodder scam late last week. A special CBI Court in Ranch found him guilty in the case and besides the prison term, awarded a penalty of Rs.10 lakhs on Yadav, who had once served as Union Railways Minister as well.

The Judge even sarcastically remarked that Lalu should be ‘left in the open’ inside the prison in view of his past record involving cows and fodder. The case had been dragging for more than 20 years before the verdict was pronounced late last week. Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu’s son and senior RJD leader, said that the party would file an appeal with the High Court of Bihar challenging the Ranchi CBI Court’s verdict.

Laloo’s sister Gangotri Devi passed away in Patna in the wee hours of Monday (08th January). Devi is four years elder to Laloo and is her only sister. It remains to be seen whether a distraught Laloo would apply for parole to attend his sister’s funeral.