SC grants bail to PW auditor in Satyam case

The Supreme Court today granted bail to PriceWaterhouse (PW) auditor Srinivas Talluri who was arrested in Satyam fraud case for allegedly conniving with its founder B Ramalinga Raju and other aides.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan directed Talluri to furnish a personal bond of Rs 20 lakh and two sureties of like amount.

While granting bail to Talluri, the bench, also comprising Justices J M Panchal and B S Chauhan, directed him to make his appearance twice a month before the CBI and not to leave Hyderabad without informing the investigating agency.

The bench said that he has to make himself available before the CBI as and when required by the probe agency for the investigation.

Talluri's passport has already been impounded by the CBI.

The CBI had on January 18 opposed the bail plea of Talluri on the ground that he was part of the conspiracy in the entire Rs 7,136-crore accounting fraud at Satyam Computer Services.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court had rejected the bail pleas of Talluri and another PW auditor S Gopalakrishnan accused in the case.

The auditors were arrested on January 24 last year on the charge of having conspired in the fraud and are in judicial custody at Chanchalguda central jail in the state.

The CBI has already filed a chargesheet against B Ramalinga Raju, the founder of Satyam, and eight others including the two auditors.