Panaji, Sep 4 (IANS): Goa Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Amit Palekar was granted bail on Monday by a local court in the Mercedes accident case.

He was given interim bail on late Thursday evening, soon after his arrest and hearing was continued today.

"The ad-interim bail granted to the applicant on 31.08.2023 is confirmed on following conditions: He is released on the same bail bond and bond of surety in sum of Rs 50,000/- each, executed at the time of interim bail. The applicant shall co-operate in the investigation of the crime. He shall not tamper with the evidence directly or indirectly. He shall not influence witnesses. He shall not leave India without permission of this court," Cholu M. Gauns, Additional Sessions Judge, Panaji, sitting at Ponda, in his order said on Monday.

Palekar, the party's Chief Minister's face during the 2022 Assembly election, was arrested under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC on Thursday afternoon.

Sources informed that there are charges against him that he allegedly attempted to mislead police by planting a dummy car driver to save the owner from getting arrested after an accident took place.

On August 6, three persons were killed and three others sustained critical injuries after a speeding Mercedes rammed into three cars and two two-wheelers while heading towards Panaji on the Banastari bridge in Ponda taluka, around 17 km from here.

After the accident, the people present at the site told reporters that a woman was driving the car.

However, the police had arrested Paresh Sinai Sawardekar (48) -- husband of the woman Meghana Sawardekar. Later, the court granted conditional bail to the couple.

The opposition parties in Goa had criticised the state government over the arrest of Palekar, saying it was a desperate attempt by the BJP government in the state to target the INDIA bloc leaders.