Clearing all hurdles for release of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda almost after three and a half years in jail, the Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday granted him bail in a corruption case related to the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme in Palamau and Dumka districts.
A Bench of Justice HC Mishra took a call after the CBI failed to file a chargesheet in a lower court despite Supreme Court directions.
Earlier, Koda’s aide Binod Sinha got bail due to the same reason. Koda’s better half Geeta, an Independent MlA, has extended support to the Hemant Soren Government, strongly backed by the Congress.
The former CM is now all set to be released on Wednesday after completing formalities at the lower court. He has been lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail since November 30, 2009.
Koda will have to file two bail bonds of `1 lakh each and deposit his passport. According to Koda’s advocate Bishwajeet Mukherjee, the apex court had, on April 5, given a limit of three months to file chargesheet.
later, the high court first gave the agency a week and later, two weeks to comply with the order, but the CBI failed to do so.