The Delhi High Court today granted bail to the 86-year old former Telecom Minister Mr Sukh Ram on grounds of his old age and health problems.

Suspending the special CBI court judgment sentencing him to five years imprisonment, the High Court asked him to furnish two sureties of Rs 10 lakh each and asked him not to leave the country without the prior permission of the court.

“The sentence is suspended till the final disposal of the case,” said the court after examining the medical report submitted by the Tihar Jail authorities. The report said that Sukh Ram had suffered from heart diseases and cervical spondylitis.

The special court of RP Pandey convicted him on Nov 17 and sent him to Tihar jail for misusing his official position during his tenure as Telecom Minister. He awarded a contract worth Rs 30 Cr to Haryana Telecom Limited (HTL), a private firm, to supply 3.5 lakh conductor km (LCKM) of PIJF cables to the telecom department after accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh.

The CBI said he was a habitual offender and opposed the bail. Sukh Ram held the Telecom portfolio in P V Narasimha Rao's cabinet. (JUBS)