The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted Suresh Kalmadi, MP, bail in one of the Commonwealth Games-related cases, saying there was no force in the CBI argument that his mere presence at large would be intimidating to witnesses.
The court also granted V.K.Verma, another accused, bail in the case.
It directed that they be released on their furnishing a personal bond of Rs.5 lakh each with two sureties for a like amount, subject to the satisfaction of the trial court. They should not leave the country without the prior permission of the trial court,” Justice Mukta Gupta said in her 18-page order.
Later in the evening, Mr. Kalmadi, former chairman of the CWG Organising Committee, was released from the Tihar Central Jail. “He was released around 7.30 p.m. after receipt of the bail order papers and completion of all formalities,” said a jail official.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is prosecuting Mr. Kalmadi and Mr. Verma, former Director-General of the CWG OC, on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery for awarding a contract for supply of the Time, Scoring and Result system to a Swiss company — Swiss Timing Limited — by changing eligibility criteria illegally.
Justice Gupta said: “Whether it was a case of exercise of discretion for ensuring the best quality or a case of culpability will be decided during the course of trial. There is no allegation of money trail to the petitioners. There is no evidence of the petitioners threatening the witnesses or interfering with evidence during investigation or trial. There is no allegation that any other FIR has been registered against the petitioners.”
Mr. Kalmadi had sought bail, citing a recent Supreme Court observation in the 2G spectrum case that ‘bail is rule and jail is exception.' He also pleaded that his health was poor.
