A Raja, the prime accused in 2G spectrum scam on Tuesday day walked out of Tihar jail amid a rousing welcome by DMK workers who burst crackers celebrating the release of the former Telecom Minister on bail.
As the 49-year-old Lok Sabha MP stepped out of Gate no.4 of the Tihar jail, he was received by DMK MP from Kanyakumari J Halen Davidson.
Dressed in his trademark white shirt and ‘dhoti’, Raja came out of Gate No 4 even as many of his supporters waiving DMK flags and DMK Parliamentary Party leader T R Baalu waited at Gate no.3 to receive him. Raja quickly took his seat in a grey Toyota Corola as lensmen jostled with hundreds of DMK supporters to capture the moment.
Earlier in the day after Raja was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 20 lakh and two sureties of the like amount.
DMK leadership swung into action without losing any time to complete the formalities for securing the bail order from the court after furnishing the bail bond and sureties for his release from jail Tuesday itself.
The court while granting bail imposed conditions on Raja that he will not visit Tamil Nadu without its prior permission and will not go to the office of the Department of Telecom (DoT).
The court, in its 14-page bail order, also said that Raja would not try to influence any witnesses while on bail.Raja was arrested on 2nd February, last year.
The court, while granting bail to Raja, said all the co-accused in the case have already been granted bail and his further detention would not serve any purpose.
“In the end considering the progress of the trial, period of the custody of the accused and the fact that all other accused have been released on bail, I am of the opinion that further detention of the accused would not serve any purpose and for these reasons, I am inclined to admit the applicant/ accused (Raja) to bail,” the special judge said.
On the apprehension of the CBI that if granted bail Raja may influence witnesses and tamper with evidence, the court said it addressed them by imposing conditions and restrictions on the accused.
The court noted that entire evidence in the case was documentary and was in its custody.
“Moreover, this apprehension of the prosecution (that Raja may influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence) can be addressed by imposing conditions and restrictions on the accused.
“Furthermore, almost entire evidence in the case is documentary in nature and the same is in the custody of the court,” the judge said.
The court also directed Raja to surrender his passport as a prerequisite for bail.
Raja, who has remained in judicial custody for over 15 months since his arrest, had sought bail on the ground of parity as other 13 co-accused have already secured bail either from the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court or the trial court.
Raja has alleged the case against him is false and fabricated and not sustainable in law.
The CBI had vehemently opposed Raja’s bail, saying he could not be released on the ground of parity as the charges levelled against him were of serious nature.
The agency has alleged that DMK-run Kalaignar TV had received Rs 200 crore as bribe from Shahid Balwa’s DB Group through a circuitous route as a quid pro quo for favours shown by Raja in spectrum allocation.
The agency has also claimed that during the probe, it had come to light that Raja and others had received a bribe of another Rs 200 crore from certain companies under its scanner in connection with the spectrum scam.