Goa court grants bail to 'fake' UP Minister

Panaji, Jan 20 (IANS) Sunil Kumar Singh, 48, who was arrested two weeks ago for posing as a UP Minister and enjoying Goa government protocol privileges which included free accommodation, police security and escort vehicles, was on Monday released on conditional bail by a local court.Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mapusa town, Teisy Mascarenhas, in her order on Monday directed the police to release Singh, a resident of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, on a bail bond of Rs. 50,000 along with two local sureties.The accused has also been directed to appear before the Goa Police Crime Branch every 15 days until a chargesheet in the case is filed.According to the Crime Branch officials, Singh had posed as a UP Minister in order to avail of a cheap holiday in Goa and was put up in a posh government guest house for nearly two weeks from December-end to January.He also met several key officials of the state government and Ministers, by posing as a Minister for Co-operatives in the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh and also attended a function organised by Goa government in South Goa, as a guest of honour.
--IANS maya/rt