The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Tehelka reporter Kumar Badal in a poaching case on the condition that he would furnish a bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount.

The Central Bureau of Investigation opposed the bail on the ground that the investigation in the case was yet to be completed, but a division bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde and Justice B P Singh rejected the contention.

While granting bail, the court directed Badal to remain in Delhi and appear before the CBI on first Monday of every month. It also prohibited his entry into Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, where the case was registered against him.

The court said in a case where the maximum sentence is a three-year term, a person cannot be incarcerated in jail. Badal had been in judicial custody since July 3 last year.

The Allahabad high court had rejected Badal's bail application on October 22, against which he filed an appeal in the apex court.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Badal said that the agency had failed to complete the probe in a simple case like this even after six months.

While pleading for two months' time to complete the probe, CBI counsel Raju Ramachandran alleged that the accused was not cooperating and had refused to give a specimen of his handwriting.