K.T. Rameez, one of the accused in the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case, was granted statutory bail in the case registered by the Customs.
C. Deepu, Judge, Economic Offences Court, Ernakulam, granted the bail as the Customs could not file the final complaint within the statutory period of 60 days. Rameez was the first accused to get bail in the case filed by the Customs in connection with the smuggling case.
The other accused too are eligible for bail and may move the bail application in the coming days, said Nireesh Mathew, the Counsel for the accused.
The petitioner was entitled to be released on bail as prescribed under the Section 167 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. As the maximum punishment prescribed for the charges levelled against the accused is up to seven years, the accused can apply for the statutory bail once he competes 60 days in custody if the final complaint is not filed within the period, he pointed out.
Though the court had granted the accused the bail, he cannot come out of the jail as the cases filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Enforcement Directorate by invoking the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are pending in courts.
Rameez was arrested on July 12 and remanded to judicial custody the next day.
The court asked Rameez to execute a bond of ₹2 lakh with two solvent sureties each for the same amount. The accused shall appear before the investigation officer in the case on all Mondays between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. for three months or the filing of the final report in the case, whichever is earlier. He was also asked to surrender his passport.
