The Patna High Court on Friday granted bail to Santosh Kumar Jha, kingpin of the multi-crore flood relief scam in Bihar. He was lodged in Patna's Beur jail for over one and a half years .

The court granted bail to Jha on the ground that as all other accused in the case were granted bail ,there was no reason why he should not be.

Jha had surrendered before the court on May 31 ,2005 and was sent to judicial custody.

He is the prime accused in the Rs 17 crore flood relief scam.

Other accused include former Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami, who was granted bail last month.

According to the state vigilance department, which is probing the scam, Jha admitted that he amassed huge wealth through irregularities.

Jha, a former Lok Janshakti Party leader who was expelled after his name figured in the scam last year, is the proprietor of a printing press and another firm, Baba Satya [Images] Sai Industries, which was allegedly used as a front for swindling cash.