The Allahabad High Court today granted bail to expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amanmani Tripathi, charged by the CBI with the murder of his wife.
Justice Vipin Sinha ordered that Tripathi, son of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician Amarmani Tripathi, "be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two heavy local sureties each of the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned".
The court also directed that he "shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence", "shall not pressurise the prosecution witnesses" and "shall appear on the date fixed by the trial court".
It also told Tripathi that he "shall not commit an offence similar to the one of which he is accused" and "shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing facts to the court or to any police officer".
Tripathi's wife Sara was killed in July 2015, in what was initially believed to be a road accident.
However, her parents alleged that she was murdered by her husband of two years.
The matter was thereafter handed over the the CBI and Tripathi was arrested and sent to jail on November 25, 2016 and slapped with a charge sheet on February 18 last.
While allowing his bail plea, the court also directed Tripathi to"surrender his passport within a period of two weeks from the date of his release before the concerned court" and "cooperate with the investigation" and ruled that he "shall present himself before the court concerned on each and every date" and "not seek any adjournment whatsoever and in case any adjournment is sought on any exceptional circumstances, the court concerned shall specify the reasons in the order itself while granting such adjournment".
"Liberty is also being given to the learned counsel for the complainant to file a bail cancellation application before the court concerned itself, in case, there is any violation on the part of the applicant (Tripathi) of the aforesaid conditions", the court added.
Tripathi, who has contested from Nautanwa assembly segment as an Independent candidate, was expelled from the ruling Samajwadi Party on February 23 last for "anti-party activities".
He was initially given the party ticket when Mulayam Singh Yadav was its national president but his candidature was cancelled when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of the party.
Tripathi's father Amarmani had been associated with SP, BSP, Congress and BSP at various points in his chequered political career and had occupied a ministerial berth on more than one occasion.
Both Amarmani and his wife, (Amanmani's mother) Madhumani, were awarded life sentence in 2007 by a CBI court for the murder of budding poetess Madhumita Shukla.
The former minister and Shukla were believed to be having an affair.
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