One of the central characters in the bogus degree, marklists and revaluation scam that rocked the NU three months ago, Kohchade was granted a conditional bail earlier Tuesday afternoon by the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Govind Masand.

The court has directed him to stay in Mumbai and report the Pratap Nagar Police Station every alternate days. Also, he has been restrained from living anywhere in Vidarbha or entering the city without prior permission from the court. Besides, he shall not tamper the evidence or influence any witness in the case.

The bail came mainly on statutory grounds after the police failed to file a chargesheet against Kohchade within the mandatory period of 60 days. Earlier, his lawyers withdrew thebail application filed on merits before the court of Additional Sessions Judge G V Lihitkar.

Kohchade was arrested in a city hotel on June 19 when he tried to bribe a police sub-inspector, investigating the varsity scam, with a whopping Rs 7 lakh in cash, the scandal would perhaps have not come to the fore the way it did.

The arrest not only caused a major sensation but also led to a series of events over the next couple of months including the arrests of the then acting Registrar and Controller of Exams P B Mistri, Dean of Engineering Faculty Hemant Thakre and several varsity officials as well as the students who benefited from the scam.

One of the Assistant Registrars and a Kohchade's colleague even jumped to his death in Ambazari lake fearing police interrogation.

And finally, came the resignations of Vice Chancellor B B Chopne and Pro-VC Yoganand Kale.