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Kochi: High Court grants bail to Palarivattom flyover accused

The three accused were lodged in Muvattupuzha sub-jail jail for 67 days since their arrest on August 30.

Kochi: The High Court on Monday granted bail to former PWD secretary T.O. Sooraj and two others arrested in connection with the alleged corruption in the construction of Palarivattom flyover. The other two are Sumit Goyal, managing director of RDS Projects, contractor of flyover work, and M.T. Thankachan assistant general manager Roads and Bridges Development Corporation Kerala (RBDCK).

The three accused were lodged in Muvattupuzha sub-jail jail for 67 days since their arrest on August 30.The counsel for the three accused submitted that the bail should be granted as investigation in the case is in the final phase and further custodial interrogation of the three is not warranted.

Although the vigilance opposed granting bail, the court upheld arguments of the counsel for the accused and granted them bail with strict conditions. Goyal and Thankachan are the first and second accused in the case while Sooraj is the fourth accused. The third accused

Benny Paul, a former joint general manager of KITCO, was granted bail earlier.

The bail conditions include surrendering the passports of the accused in the court, appearing before the investigating officials as and when required and not to influence witnesses. The arrest of the accused, particularly Mr. Sooraj, was in connection with granting Rs 8.25 crore as advance payment to the contractor. The vigilance has submitted nearly 147 documents in the court in connection with alleged conspiracy on various irregularities linked to selection of the contractor, advance payment of Rs 8.25 crore and watering down quality parameters in the flyover construction.

Mr. Sooraj, the PWD secretary when the project was awarded, has blamed former PWD minister Ibrahim Kunju for making the advance payment to the contractor and other irregularities connected with the project.

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