A Raja walks out of jail, DMK workers celebrate

Andimuthu Raja, the main accused in the Rs 30,000 crore 2G scam who had desisted from applying for bail for over fifteen months, on Tuesday walked out of Tihar jail after a Delhi court granted him freedom brushing aside CBI's apprehensions that he will tamper with evidence.

The 49-year-old former telecom minister and currently MP, was whisked away to his home in a car to from a rear gate even as DMK workers and his supporters set off crackers outside the high-security jail celebrating his release from prison.

Raja was granted bail by the special 2G court on an application filed by him last week, holding that his further detention would not serve any purpose as all the other 13 co-accused have already been out of jail.

Considering the period of detention in the light of the progress of the case, the court said it was of the opinion that further detention of Raja would not serve any purpose.

M A Parameswari, Raja's wife, who was in the court when the order was passed by Special CBI Judge O P Saini, was visibly relieved as she told reporters outside later that the family is happy and will have a get-together.

"There

However, it was celebration all the way at the Motilal Nehru Marg residence of Raja whose supporters exploded crackers, distributed sweets, beat drums and sang songs as the former telecom minister, accompanied by DMK parliamentary party leader T R Baalu, reached the premises a little after 7.40 pm, minutes after he walked out of the jail.

Celebrations in fact broke out outside the court soon after news of his bail trickled out with a large number of his supporters and some party MPs gathering to cheer him and distributing sweets.

In his 14-page order, the judge imposed several conditions on Raja including a ban on his visit to his home state of Tamil Nadu or the Department of Telecom which he presided over as minister for over three years.