Patna high court today granted regular bail to former Bihar MLA Rajan Tiwari, sentenced to life imprisonment, in the CPI(M) MLA Ajit Sarkar murder case.

A division bench comprising Justices Mridula Mishra and S N Hussain allowed Tiwari's prayer for bail after hearing his counsel and that of the CBI.

A CBI court had six months ago sentenced Tiwari and former RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav to life imprisonment for the killing of the CPI(M) legislator at Purnia on June 16, 1998. Pappu Yadav was also on bail in the case.