Saradha chit fund scam accused Manoranjana Sinh, in judicial custody for over 15 months, was today granted bail by the Supreme Court which said her further confinement in jail was not an "indispensable necessity" for "unhindered investigation".
The apex court, which perused the disclosures made in the status report filed by CBI, said there is a need to balance her fundamental "right to liberty" with imperatives of investigation.
It directed the trial court and CBI to maintain continuous vigil in the matter and bring to court's notice any conduct or action of the appellant warranting recall of the order.
A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy ordered release of Manoranjana, the estranged wife of former Union minister and a co-accused in the case Matang Sinh, on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs one crore and two sureties of the like amount, while directing her not to hinder or try to influence the probe in any manner. She is lodged in a jail in West Bengal.
The court also said she should not make any endeavour to either tamper with evidence or influence any witness or deal with any record of the case, and asked her to cooperate in the investigation. She was asked to surrender her passport with the trial court.
The bench made it clear any breach or non-compliance with its order would be viewed "very seriously" and have stringent adverse consequences as provided under the law.
"She would not leave the territorial limits of the city of Kolkata without the written permission of the trial court and without informing the investigating agency," the bench said while imposing several bail conditions on her.
The court, in its order, said: "In the above factual premise and on an in-depth balancing of all relevant aspects and chiefly the competitive imperatives of investigation and the right to liberty, we are disposed, for the present, to grant bail to the appellant, subject to the conditions, as enumerated hereinafter."
"To reiterate, having regard to the materials available, we are of the opinion, mainly in the face of disclosures in the latest status report, that presently further confinement of the appellant in judicial custody is not an indispensable necessity for the unhindered investigation, that is in progress," the bench said.