New Delhi: Former telecom minister A. Raja was granted bail on Tuesday in the 2G case after spending 15 months in jail.

Raja was the last of the 14 individuals accused in the case to have sought bail, having done so last week. Bail was granted by Judge O.P. Saini in the court hearing the case on alleged irregularities in the allocation of second generation, or 2G, spectrum.

The former minister was arrested on 2 February last year for his role in the allotment of licences in 2008. Raja, who belongs to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), had applied for bail on the grounds that the case against him was “false and fabricated”. He sought parity with his co-accused, who are all out on bail. The lower court had given the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) until 11 May to respond to the bail application.

CBI had questioned Raja’s alleged links with Mauritius-based Delphi Investment Ltd, to which Reliance Telecom Ltd had allegedly transferred its shares. The agency had said that if released on bail at this stage, Raja may tamper with evidence. But Raja’s lawyers had argued that as their client was no longer a Union cabinet minister, he could not tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.

Raja’s lawyer, Ramesh Gupta, told  : “The strategy (to fight the case) will remain the same, while he is in jail or while on bail, which is to assist the court in an early disposal of the case… He was the most cooperative accused in the trial, he was available, he did not delay the trial.”

Raja was arrested along with other accused including former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi’s daughter and member of Parliament K. Kanimozhi, who was granted bail in November. Cineyug founder Karim Morani, Kalaignar TV head Sharath Kumar and Kusegaon directors Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal got bail on the same day as Kanimozhi. The other accused in the case include Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair, executives in the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, now known as Reliance Group; Unitech Ltd chief Sanjay Chandra and DB Realty promoters Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Raja was only a “small fish” and that the “big fish” were still free.

“Raja getting bail does not finish the case, in fact it only strengthens it,” Shahnawaz Hussain, BJP national spokesperson, told reporters. He added that action should be taken against those who are still free in the case.

A member of Tamil Nadu’s ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) said there was a political motive behind Raja’s bail.

“It is my personal view that as the chief accused with enough prima facie evidence against him, it is unfair and undesirable that he be released on bail,” said K. Malaisamy, AIADMK party member and former Rajya Sabha lawmaker.

“There are political implications to this move as well. It is to be noted that the (Congress-led) United Progressive Alliance government (at the Centre) is looking for (DMK chief) Karunanidhi’s support for the presidential race. At a party level, I can say that we are not happy with this move,” he said. Presidential elections are due in July.

Political commentator S. Murari was of the view that not many in the DMK would welcome Raja’s release on bail.

“I do not think anyone except M. Karunanidhi and K. Kanimozhi will be welcoming of A. Raja coming back into the party. Many within the DMK party resent him and blame him for their defeat in the state elections, so it is unlikely he will receive a warm welcome,” Murari said.