Former Tripura Minister and multi-crore Public Works Department (PWD) scam accused Badal Choudhury got relief on Saturday, with the High Court of Tripura releasing him on bail. He was arrested on October 21 last year from a private hospital in connection with the ₹640-crore scam of 2008.
The case related to the registration of an FIR in the West Agartala Police Station on October 13 last against Choudhury and some top PWD officials.
The bail came on the 87th day of his detention after several of his bail applications were rejected at different courts.
Choudhury vehemently denied his involvement in the scam in any manner and the CPI(M) termed his arrest an act of political vendetta.
During his custody, Choudhury was admitted in hospitals on three occasions. On January 19, the 68-year-old leader was admitted to hospital for sustaining minor injuries after slipping and falling on the floor of the toilet attached to his ward at the central jail.
The Crime Branch of police was probing the case under Sections 409, 418, 420, 421 and 120(B) of the IPC.
Besides Choudhury, former PWD Chief Engineer Sunil Bhowmik, former Principal Secretary Y.P. Singh and others were indicted in the scam.
Bhowmik recently secured bail from the High Court while Singh has remained a fugitive.
