NEW DELHI: Former telecom minister
A Raja was on Wednesday allowed by a special CBI court, hearing the 2G spectrum allocation scam, to visit his home state
Tamil Nadu between June 8 and June 30.
While granting bail to Raja on May 15, the court had imposed certain conditions, including that he would not visit his home state without its prior permission.
Following the order, Raja moved the plea seeking permission of the court to visit Tamil Nadu.
Special CBI Judge OP Saini allowed the plea in which the DMK MP had said that he had not visited Tamil Nadu for the last over one-and-a half year.
In his plea, Raja sought court's permission also on the ground that the trial proceedings would not be undertaken from June 9 to June 30 owing to summer vacation. "A Raja is allowed to visit his home state Tamil Nadu from June 8 to June 30 subject to conditions as were imposed upon him in the bail order dated May 15," the judge said.
Earlier, the DMK MP was granted bail by the court holding that his further detention would not serve any purpose as all the other 13 co-accused are already out on bail.
The court had imposed several conditions on Raja including a ban on his visit to Tamil Nadu as well as the Department of Telecom (DoT) which he presided over as minister for over three years. The court had directed Raja not to make any inducement, threat or promise, either directly or indirectly, to any person acquainted with the case.
It also asked Raja to surrender his passport with it and said he should remain present before it during the hearing. The court while enlarging Raja on bail had directed him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 20 lakh with two sureties of the like amount.
Arrested by the CBI on February 2 last year, 49-year-old Raja, the main accused in the Rs 30,000 crore
2G scam had moved his first bail application only after all the other co- accused were granted bail in the case.
Raja and others have been charged with the offences of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and corruption besides criminal breach of trust that entails a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.