Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) A city court Friday granted bail to Narender Khosla, the businessman accused for sending threatening and sleazy text messages to politicians, including former minister of state for external affairs Shahshi Tharoor.

Granting the bail, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja said: “After taking into account the fact that the accused was in custody since April 16, no fruitful purpose, in my view, shall be served by keeping the accused behind the bars.”

“The case is still at the stage of investigation. It will be premature, in my view, to express any opinion regarding offence for which the accused may ultimately be charge-sheeted. However, it cannot be ignored that the accused is in the custody since April 16,” she added.

Khosla was asked to furnish a personal bond and a surety of Rs.35,000 each.

A manpower supplier, he had allegedly, acting out of jealousy, procured SIM cards in the name of his ex-girlfriend’s current lover and sent lewd messages to high profile politicians to frame his rival. According to police, Khosla had rivalry with a gym instructor, Manik Verma, for having an affair with a woman who was his girlfriend before he married another woman.

Besides Tharoor, Khosla had sent messages to MPs Brinda Karat, Mehmood Masood Madani, Rashid Alvi, Om Prakash and Sandeep Dikshit.

Khosla was arrested April 16 by Delhi Police’s Special Cell. The computer, printer and scanner used for preparing fake identity cards to procure the SIM cards were also recovered.

The court also took into account that the recoveries were effected with Khosla’s assistance.

Khosla’s employee Rohit, 22, who was also arrested in the case, has already been sent to judicial custody by the CMM till April 30.