India, July 24 -- A Delhi court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Pharmacy Council of India's (PCI) president Montu M Patel in a corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the health ministry's complaint, saying there was a need to strike a balance between personal liberty and a fair investigation.

According to the first information report (FIR) filed by CBI, Patel conspired with others to grant approvals to pharmacy colleges in exchange for bribes.

Special judge Sushant Changotra told the CBI that it hadn't produced evidence to implicate Patel. "The courts are under bounden duty to strike a fair balance vis-a-vis the protection of personal liberty of an individual/right of an investigating agency ...