New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to M Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in the LIFE Mission case.

The court granted bail to the former bureaucrat on medical grounds without considering the merits of the case. It had extended the interim bail of Sivasankar on January 9.

On December 8, 2023, the apex court had asked the retired bureaucrat to undergo a medical examination at Pondicherry’s JIPMER after the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) demanded that Sivasankar be examined in any government hospital outside Kerala. The anti-money laundering agency had opposed the extension of interim bail on medical grounds saying that Sivasankar's application is based on certifications issued by private hospitals. In August last year, the Supreme Court had ordered release of the applicant on interim bail after his counsel pointed out that Sivasankar has serious health issues and needs expert treatment.

The former principal secretary of the Kerala CM was arrested on February 2023, in connection with the alleged violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). He has been accused of money laundering and receiving bribes from that Unitac builders in Life Mission project, the flagship housing project of the Kerala government. It has been alleged that the Unitac Builders gave bribes to the Consul General of UAE and Sivasankar to get the contract.