Zee News editor Sudhir Chaudhary and Zee Business editor Samir Ahluwalia were granted bail by a Sessions Court here on Monday in a case lodged against them for allegedly demanding Rs. 100 crore in advertisements from Jindal Steel and Power Limited to dilute the campaign against the company in connection with the coal blocks allocation scandal.
While granting bail to the editors, the court said the accused had been in custody for almost 20 days and the investigation was only at an initial stage.
Personal bond
“Keeping in view the totality of circumstances, the nature of offence and antecedents of the accused, they [editors] could be granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of the sum of Rs. 50,000 each with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the metropolitan magistrate,” the judge said.
“Article 21 [fundamental rights of protection of life and liberty] of the Constitution is violated if the under-trial prisoners are detained in jail custody for an indefinite period,” the court said .
