Gauhati HC grants bail to Bharali

The Gauhati High Court has granted bail to Sanghamitra Bharali, who had claimed to have a relationship with former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, in a disproportionate assets case.
A single judge bench of Justice T Vaiphei granted her bail yesterday.
Bharali, a former assistant language officer in Assam legislative assembly, was sentenced to four years imprisonment by a special court here on November 21 last year.
The court of special judge M Mazed Ali had also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Bharali.
The state vigilance and anti-corruption branch had registered a case in 2001 for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to her known sources of income and filed the chargesheet in February last year.

Bharali owns posh residential apartments in Mumbai and Guwahati, two cars and has also investments in the share market.

She was in the news after claiming that the then chief minister Prafulla Mahanta had married her in a secret ceremony at a temple in Mumbai in March 2001.
Even though Mahanata denied Bharali's claim, his political career took a beating and he was compelled to leave Asom Gana Parishad he had founded, to form a separate political party.
He has, however, rejoined AGP and is now its president.