NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court has granted bail to journalist Upendra Rai, who was arrested in a money laundering case related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions, noting that he has already spent more than 13 months in custody and the trial is likely to take some time.
Justice Mukta Gupta granted relief to Rai on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with a surety of the same amount and directed him not to influence any witness or tamper with the evidence.
The court also said he shall not leave the country without prior permission.
Rai was arrested on June 8, 2018 by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the Tihar jail, moments after he secured bail in a Central Bureau of Investigation case related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions.
The CBI arrested him on May 3, 2018.
The Enforcement Directorate opposed his bail plea saying that merely because bail has been granted to him in the two predicate offences investigated by the CBI could not be the sole criteria to grant him the relief in the case.
(With PTI inputs)