Rajat Sharma gets bail

CHANDIGARH, JULY 27: Rajat Sharma of Aap ki adalat, one of three accused in a defamation case filed in October 1996 by former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal was today granted bail by the court of city Chief Judicial Magistrate Sant Parkash. Sharma was ordered to be released after furnishing a bond of Rs 25,000, along with surety of like amount. He was also extempted from personal appearance on the next date of hearing. The Magistrate ordered that Subhash Goenka owner of Zee TV, another accused in the case, present himself before the court on the next date of hearing, i.e. August 18.

In the complaint filed here on October 23, 1996, in the court of the then CJM Darshan Singh, Bhajan Lal had alleged that Subhash Goenka, Rajat Sharma the then news editor with Zee TV and Sudhir Sharma news reader, quot;in callous disregard of resultant civil and criminal consequences got broadcast on Zee News on the night of October 20, 1996 that the complainant8217;s houses at Adampur and Hisar had been raided by the CBI.quot;

Former CM had also added that Subhash Goenka was an active member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the RSS, which was an ally of Haryana Vikas Party being headed by Bansi Lal, his political rival.