After a six-month wait, DMK MP Kanimozhi and four others accused in the 2G spectrum scam case were granted bail by the Delhi high court on Monday. This comes as huge relief to the DMK, which had been running from pillar to post to secure Ms Kanimozhi’s bail.
The four others also granted bail were DMK-run Kalaignar TV’s MD Sharad Kumar, Bollywood producer Karim Morani and Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables directors Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal. All of them are expected to be released from Tihar Jail by Tuesday afternoon. They had to spend one more night in jail as the CBI special judge was unable to issue release orders due to procedural delays.
Unlike in the case of these five, whose bail pleas were not opposed by the CBI, the investigative agency did oppose the bail plea of former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura on the ground that, being a public servant, he was charged with more serious offences which might entail life imprisonment. The court reserved orders on his bail application till Tuesday, when the petitions of two other accused, Shahid Usman Balwa and R.K. Chandolia, will also be taken up.