Subrata Roy gets 4 weeks parole for mother's last rites

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered release of Sahara Group head Subrata Roy on parole for four weeks from Tihar jail to conduct the last rites of his mother who passed away on Thursday night.

A bench led by the Chief Justice of India TS Thakur expressed sympathies with the Sahara India founder and chairman who has been in jail for over two years as his group failed to comply with a court order to return about Rs 35,000 crore it raised from thousands of small investors through market regulator Sebi.

Ashok Roy Choudhury, another director on Sahara India board, was also granted parole as he is a family member.

They will be accompanied by policemen in plainclothes who will take them back to Tihar after four weeks.

Their lawyer Kapil Sibal assured the court that they would not attempt to flee the country as their passports were already with the authorities.

While granting the parole, Justice Thakur observed, "A mother takes care of her children even in death."