Ex-minister gets bail

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to sacked Assam education minister Ripun Borah who had been in custody for allegedly offering a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to a CBI officer.

Additional Sessions Judge R K Yadav also ordered the release of the two co-accused, Ramesh Kumar Maheshwari and Assam-based journalist Mukul Pathak, on furnishing a personal and surety bond of Rs 3 lakh each. The court has also asked the trio to deposit their passports with it and give an undertaking that they would not commit any act prejudicial to the probe against them.

The reprieve came after the court accepted their contention that following the filing of the chargesheet, the probe was deemed to be over and extending their period of detention would mean 8220;penalising them without a trial8221;. Borah has been charged with offering a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to a CBI official for getting a clean chit in the probe into the murder of Assam student leader Daniel Topno.