Skeletons case: SC grants bail to CPI-M MLA Susanta Ghosh

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to former Left Front minister and Communist Party of India - Marxist Member of Legislative Assembly Susanta Ghosh.

While granting bail, a bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and Gyan Sudha Misra imposed the condition that Ghosh will not visit any part of West Bengal's West Midnapore district other than his assembly constituency Garbeta.

The apex court, which allowed his appeal against the denial of bail by the Calcutta high court on September 29 last year, said Ghosh would also have to visit the police station nearest to his residence on the last Sunday of every month between 11 am and 2 pm.

Other conditions for his bail would be imposed by the trial court.

Ghosh's bail plea was argued by advocate Ajay Sharma, who had filed the appeal against the high court order.

Ghosh has been in custody since August 11 last year after his arrest by the state CID for his alleged complicity in the murder of Ajay Acharya, whose son Shyamal filed an FIR, following the discovery of his skeleton from a pit.

Seven skeletons were dug out from a pit in a field near Ghosh's ancestral house at Benachapra in West Midnapore district. DNA tests proved that one of the skeletons was that of Acharya. In the FIR, Shyamal Acharya named Ghosh as one of the key accused.

He alleged that his father had been murdered along with the other six -- all Trinamool Congress supporters -- in September 2002 and their bodies were buried.

Ghosh has maintained that it is a politically motivated case and was filed after a change in the government in the state.