Bikramjit Singh, booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, had earlier been directed against leaving the country without the court's prior permission.

A case was registered against him by the CBI, after the former chief secretary V.K. Khanna referred the matter to the investigating agency, along with another case relating to the grant of land to the Punjab Cricket Association. These references had earlier given rise to a major controversy in the state.

Taking up his plea today, the Additional District and Sessions Judge directed him to furnish a bond of Rs 1 lakh along with a surety of the like amount and asked him to hand over the passport to the investigating agency after his return from the US.

He also rejected Bikramjit Singh's plea for operating a locker containing gold ornaments. However, the petitioner was allowed to operate two other lockers earlier sealed by the CBI.

In the applications filed before the court, Bikramjit Singh had sought permission to leave the country for accompanying his daughter to the US. He had stated that his daughter, currently an MBBS student at Patiala, was planning to settle there.

Seeking permission to operate the lockers, he had stated that gold ornaments in the State Bank of India's Sector 8 branch were required for "customary wearing" by his wife.

Opposing his pleas, CBI public prosecutor V.K. Sharma had contended that the investigation was at the initial stage and securing his presence later on may prove to be difficult.

He had further contended that gold ornaments weighing 470.100 grams, along with silver weighing 1,380 grams, which were not taken into posses-sion by the CBI during raids at his house, could be used by his wife.

The PP, however, did not object to the operation of lockers in Punjab and Sind Bank's Sector 17 branch and Canara Bank's Sector 35 branch.