Delhi court grants bail to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in bribery case

New Delhi, August 30

A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in a bribery case related to the AIADMK's "two leaves" election symbol, noting that he had undergone detention for a period more than the maximum jail term specified for the offence he was accused to have committed.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne granted the relief to him on a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh.

Chandrasekhar has been accused of acting as a middleman for AIADMK leader T T V Dinakaran and trying to bribe an Election Commission of India (ECI) official to secure the party's two leaves symbol for the faction led by V K Sasikala.

According to the prosecution, Rs 1.3 crore cash was recovered from the accused which was allegedly intended to be used for exercising undue influence with the ECI for obtaining a favourable election symbol for the Sasikala faction of the AlADMK.

Chandrasekhar will, however, remain in jail in other pending cases lodged against him.

The judge said in his order that Chandrasekhar's detention beyond seven years “entails his mandatory release”.

“The accused has admittedly suffered detention beyond the maximum period of imprisonment and his release was not constrained by the law,” the judge noted.

The judge said that the judicial interpretation of law “must necessarily be bulwark against a police State”.