KOCHI: Bail has been granted to M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the chief minister. He was granted bail in the dollar smuggling case. He was granted bail earlier in the gold smuggling and money laundering cases. He is likely to be released from jail this afternoon. He is getting bail after serving a jail term of 98 days. He has to furnish a bond of Rs two lakh and two solvent sureties for the like sum.

The verdict was pronounced by the special economic offences court in Ernakulam. Sivasankar had claimed that he has no role in the dollar smuggling case and that the investigating team was not able to produce any evidences against him. He also argued that there are only statements of the accused in custody.

The ED arrested him on October 28. The customs arrested him in November in the gold smuggling case and in January in dollar smuggling case while being interrogated in the money laundering case. He was granted bail for not filing charge sheet in the gold smuggling case.

The high court also granted bail to Sivasankar in money laundering case citing prosecution's inability to find him in possession of black money. However, Sivasankar could not get out as he was involved in dollar smuggling case. Following this, the important verdict in the third case came today.