1993 telecom scam: Sukhram, 2 others granted interim bail till Jan 16

The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim bail to former Union Minister Sukhram, who surrendered before a trial court on Saturday to serve his three-year sentence in the 1993 telecom scam case.

Former bureaucrat Runu Ghosh and Hyderabad-based businessman P Rama Rao too were granted interim bail by the apex court till January 16, when their pleas for regular bail in the case were slated for hearing.

A bench of Justice P Sathasivam and Justice J Chelameswar granted bail to them, saying the trial court will impose the requisite condition to its satisfaction for giving them the relief.

On the bail pleas by the trio, the apex court also issued notices to the CBI and sought its reply by January 16.

Soon after reaching Tihar Jail on Saturday last, Sukhram had to be moved ICU of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital after doctors found his condition had deteriorated.

Senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam, Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the three convicts respectively and submitted that they have been on bail for last 20 years and there was no fear of them running away.

Subramaniam, appearing for Sukhram, said the former minister was 86-year-old and the court should take this into account while granting him bail.