New Delhi: A CBI special court has granted bail to former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) officials ASV Prasad and Surjit Lal and a private firm`s promoter, PD Arya, in a corruption case related to the games.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge Talwant Singh, in an order made available Tuesday, granted bail to foremr OC joint director general (sports) Prasad, former OC director general (procurement) Lal and Faridabad-based Gem International`s promoter Arya.
"After hearing both sides, without going into the merits of the case, I am inclined to grant bail to all the three accused...on ground of parity as other four accused persons are already on bail," the court said Monday.
With this, seven of the nine people, including former OC chief Suresh Kalmadi, also booked in the case, have been released on bail.
Two companies have also been booked for irregularities in the award of a contract for timing, scoring and result (TSR) equipment for the 2010 Games
The two accused now left in jail are A.K. Madan, another promoter of Gem International, and A.K. Reddy, official of Hyderabad-based company A.K.R. Construction.
The court directed the accused who were granted bail not to intimidate any witness. They were also restrained from leaving the country without court permission.
Bail was granted to Arya on a personal bond and two sureties of Rs.5 lakh each, while bail to Prasad and Lal was granted on a personal bond and sureties of Rs.2 lakh each.
Kalmadi was given bail by the Delhi High Court Jan 19 along with his aide V.K. Verma. Former OC secretary general Lalit Bhanot and former treasurer M. Jayachandran were granted bail two days later by the trial court.
The CBI in its first charge sheet in the case against Kalmadi and 10 others described him as a prime accused and the mastermind in the corruption case related to financial irregularities in awarding the Rs.141 crore contract for the TSR system.
The officials and two companies were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
IANS
