The Delhi high court on Monday granted Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh bail in the 2008 cash-for-vote case on “humanitarian grounds” in view of his “critical” condition. It, however, restrained him from leaving the country without prior permission.
“Keeping in view the critical health condition of the petitioner as he had been continuously in hospital since October 12 till date, on humanitarian grounds I deem it fit to admit the petitioner on bail,” Justice Suresh Kait said in his 33-page order.
While granting bail to Mr Singh, undergoing treatment at AIIMS in judicial custody, the court asked him to furnish a personal bond of `50 lakh and two sureties of like amount.
Initially, the court asked Mr Singh to furnish a personal bond and two sureties of `1 crore each as a pre-condition for his release on bail, but halved the amount after Mr Singh’s lawyers said they were “too high” and would be difficult for the accused to arrange.
Justice Kait also asked Mr Singh to surrender his passport. The court passed the order on an appeal by Mr Singh challenging the lower court’s order rejecting his bail plea.
The lower court had granted him interim bail on September 15 on medical grounds, which continued till September 28 when the judge ordered him re-arrested and dismissed his regular and interim bail pleas on the ground that he was “stable”.
Mr Singh has been booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code in the cash-for-vote case.