New Delhi: A special CBI court on Monday, November 8, granted bail to Ashok Saikia, former Assam chief minister Hiteswar Saikia’s son, after he was arrested a day earlier in connection with an alleged bank fraud case, Hindustan Times has reported.The CBI on Sunday arrested Ashok Saikia in relation to a 25-year-old alleged loan default case of around Rs 9 lakh, according to officials. Ashok also happens to be the younger brother of Congress legislator and leader of opposition in state assembly Debabrata Saikia.After the bail was granted, Debabrata Saikia said, “The bail was granted by the court of a special magistrate (Central Bureau of Investigation) following our plea that my brother should not have been arrested. The exact details and conditions are not available yet.”The arrest on Sunday came after a non-bailable warrant was issued against Ashok Saikia for non-appearance in court despite summons, according to officials. He was questioned by the Guwahati team of the CBI and was put under arrest before he was produced in the court on Monday, the officials said.After Ashok was arrested on Sunday, his brother Debabrata Saikia had said, “I do not know whether he has been arrested or detained. In fact, I do not know where he has been taken. This is a very old case and was duly settled. The bank did not inform the court and it was the bank’s fault.”Ashok Saikia, a businessman by profession, had issued a statement through his elder brother and said that he had availed the loan in 1996 from The Assam State Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ltd (ASCARD).“Later, I repaid the loan as per an ASCARD letter in 2011. The ASCARD general manager in-charge through an official letter, dated October 28, 2015, had stated that no dues were pending. The CBI team suddenly came to our house and said my loan is pending. I did not receive any notice from the CBI or the court,” Ashok had said.“I do not know why the CBI has brought me in a baseless and fictitious case. Only the CBI or the government will know this,” the businessman had said.Debabrata Saikia had also shared the ASCARD certificate, issued by its General Manager In-Charge H.N. Borah on October 28, 2015, which had mentioned that Ashok Kr Saikia, director of HPS India Pvt Ltd, had availed a loan of Rs 9,37,701 under the bridge loan scheme in 1996.“As per our letter Ref. No. ASCARDB (L/C) 192/2002/61 dated 14.09.2011 under the compromise settlement scheme he has fully repay the dues both principal and interest. Now his aforesaid loan is liquidated,” the purported certificate from the ASCARD said.The authenticity of the said certificate could not be verified immediately.Debabrata Saikia had said, “The CBI claimed that they had sent a notice. My mother, who lives with Ashok, stays at home all the time and she said no notice came to us. Our advocate said that this case should not have been pursued at all. I do not know why such an old settled case is being raked up.”A senior Congress leader had alleged that the CBI was being “used” by the BJP-led Union government to harass the leader of the opposition after his strong statement on Saturday in connection with the claims of state BJP leaders on switching sides to the saffron party.“Saikia yesterday said that he would never join the BJP and his name was speculated just to demoralise Congress workers. The BJP is now using the CBI to intimidate Saikia. This is the tactic of the BJP across the country,” the Congress leader had told PTI on the condition of anonymity.(With PTI inputs)