GUWAHATI, Aug 11 - The Gauhati High Court today granted bail to RH Khan, one of the prime accused in the multi-crore-rupee NC Hills Autonomous Council scam.
Khan�s counsel filed an appeal in the high court after the NIA special court on May 22 had convicted the former government officer and fourteen others. The NIA court had sentenced Khan, the then deputy director of the social welfare department, to twelve years imprisonment under Section 17 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
He was charged with diverting development funds to the now disbanded DHD(J) militant group.
Senior advocate Narayan Dutta Bhuyan told The Assam Tribune that a division bench of the high court comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice PK Phukan granted bail to Khan, while his sentencing has been kept under suspension till the appeal is disposed.
The bail was given against a bond of Rs 1 lakh. Further, Khan was directed not to leave Guwahati without the court�s permission. He was also directed by the high court to cooperate with the NIA.
Khan has been in jail since May 31, 2009.
The NIA had registered two cases in 2009 based on allegations that huge sums of money were being siphoned off from the development funds allotted to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council in connivance with contractors and government servants and being routed to the DHD(J) for procurement of arms and ammunition and other subversive activities.
The CBI is also investigating two corruption cases in the NC Hills Autonomous Council.
