Satyam's Ramalinga Raju gets bail

Even as the Andhra Pradesh high court granted bail to B Ramalinga Raju, the prime accused in the Satyam Computers multi-billion-rupee scam, on Wednesday, citing his ill health as one of the reasons, doctors at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad said that there was a significant improvement in his Hepatitis B condition.

"Response to the treatment is very good and the count of Hepatitis B virus has come down from 10 million 30 weeks ago to only 30 now," said Dr Ajit Kumar, head of the department, gastroenterology at NIMS.

Raju was in jail for 17 months after his arrest on charges of allegedly fudging the IT company's accounts.

Raju, who was arrested on January 7 last year, was granted bail on the condition that he stays in Hyderabad and provision of on two sureties of Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million) each.

Meanwhile, Ajit Kumar said that there was a very good chance of Ramalinga Raju recovering fully after the completion of the course of another 16 injections over the next 16 weeks.

"Till that time he should remain in hospital, but we cannot force any patient to stay," he said when asked whether Raju will be allowed to go home.

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He said that the Hepatitis virus O Type I, which afflicted Raju, was the worst among the all and there were symptoms of early liver cirrhosis. "If he recovers fully from this there will be no need for liver transplant. Our focus is totally on preventive cure," Kumar said.

The injection given to Ramalinga Raju was expensive at Rs 16,000 a piece and Raju had agreed to bear the cost of the same.

Another doctor, M Satyanarayana, denied the reports in the media that the doctors at the NIMS had not cooperated with the Central Bureau of Investigation and submitted reports to the court which were favourable to Ramalinga Raju and helped him in getting bail.

On the request of the CBI that Ramalinga Raju should be checked by a private doctor, Ajit Kumar said that he welcomes it. "It will be good if a third party or even a foreign consultant examines him. It will vindicate my position," he said.

Meanwhile, the police security was still continuing outside Ramalinga Raju's room in VIP block of NIMS. "We have not received the copies of the court granting him bail," Satyanarayana said.

Ramalinga Raju was shifted to NIMS from Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad in December year last with his health condition worsening after complaints of liver-related ailments.

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Justice Raja Elango granted the bail to the former chairman of Satyam Computer, which has since been taken over by Mahindra group and renamed Mahindra Satyam, even as the Central Bureau of Investigation said he could influence witnesses numbering 250 if let out.

With Ramalinga Raju getting bail, all the 10 accused in the Rs 14,000 crore (Rs 140 billion) Satyam accounting fraud case have been granted bail by various courts

Raju had in January last year written to the company's board admitting to fudging the accounts, and then retracted his statement saying that he was not involved in the fraud.

Meanwhile, Raju's lawyer Bharat Kumar said that Raju will remain in Hyderabad city until further order.

The lawyer said that Raju has been cooperating in the investigations and will continue to do so without any let or exception. "He will scrupulously follow any conditions laid down by the court."