The Jharkhand High Court deferred the bail hearing of RJD supremo Lalu Yadav to February 5 on Friday, denying some respite to the jailed RJD chief who was recently shifted to AIIMS in Delhi for treatment.

The court of Justice Apresh Kumar Singh, who was hearing Lalu’s conviction in a fodder scam case pertaining to the Dumka treasury, posted the hearing to the first week of February after the CBI sought time to file a counter affidavit.

Lalu, who is fighting multiple cases of corruption related to the fodder scam _ alleged fraudulent withdrawals from district treasuries is seeking bail in the Dumka case for which he has been sentenced to 14 years.

He is seeking bail now on health grounds, claiming that he has already served half of his sentence.

Speaking with reporters, Lalu’s counsel Prabhat Kumar confirmed the developments. “The court has posted Lalu’s bail hearing in regard to the Dumka case till February 5 as the CBI required some time to prepare for arguments,” he said.

The Dumka treasury scam involves illegal withdrawals to the tune of Rs 3.13 crore. Other fodder scam cases against him pertain to illegal withdrawals in Ranchi, Chaibasa (misappropriation of Rs 33.67 crore) and Deoghar treasuries.

In the Chaibasa case, he was granted a five-year jail sentence. In the Deoghar treasury case, he was sentenced to 3.5 years, but was granted bail in the 2013.

Last week, Lalu who was being treated at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), was diagnosed with pneumonia which led to respiratory distress. A RIMS medical board then decided to send him to AIIMS in Delhi for treatment via air ambulance on January 23. His wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap and daughter Misa had come to visit him at RIMS.