The Gujarat High Court today gave conditional ‘‘interim liberty’’ to Surendra Shetty, father of actress Shilpa Shetty and an accused in an extortion case. He has been evading arrest in the case registered against him and two others by the Surat police.Hearing a bail petition filed by him, Justice A.H. Mehta restrained police from arresting him till June 17 and fixed the matter for final hearing on the same day. The court also asked the prosecution to file an affidavit by June 13 if it chooses to oppose the bail petition. Surendra wasn’t present in court today.The judge, however, restrained the accused from leaving the country. He has been asked to deposit his passport with the investigating officer by June 5 and to cooperate with the investigating agency. He has also been asked to refrain from tampering with the evidence and to appear before police within 24 hours of intimation.Surendra is accused of hiring a gangster to recover Rs 80 lakh due to his daughter from the proprietor of Prafful saris, Pankaj Agarwal, for appearing in an ad film. Police also claim to possess recorded telephone conversation between Shilpa’s parents, Surendra and Sunanda, and Agarwal, which indicate that the latter was threatened.
