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B. Ramalinga Raju accused in the RS 14,000- crore Satyam Computers scam, was on Thursday released from judicial custody.

Eleventh additional chief metropolitan magistrate BVLN Chakravarthy at Nampally courts in Hyderabad asked the Chanchalguda jail authorities to ‘ release’ Raju from judicial custody. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had granted bail to Raju on Wednesday.

The release from judicial custody came after Raju’s wife Nandini and cousin I. Suryanarayana Raju submitted two sureties each for Rs 20 lakh at the court.

Though there is no immediate threat of a jail stay, sources say Raju may continue to stay put at Hyderabad’s Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, where he has been undergoing treatment for Hepatitis C and other ailments since September 2009.

The doctors at the institute said they wouldn’t advise him to get discharged because he was out of judicial custody.

“ Though his health condition has improved a lot, the Hepatitis C symptoms are fluctuating.

It is better for him to be under constant medical supervision till he completes the second round of his 24- week injection cycle. He still needs another 18 injections. But if he still wants to go home, we cannot stop him,” NIMS gastro- entrologist Dr. Ajit Kumar said.

According to the high court order, once Raju is discharged from the hospital, he will have to attend the trial court regularly.

He has also been asked to visit the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) office for interrogation as and when required. Considering these ‘ inconveniences’, chances are Raju will prefer staying at NIMS for the time being.

At the same time, there are also those who think the NIMS is not a very safe option for Raju.

“ The NIMS is a state- run hospital.

If the government wants, it can hound Raju. The doctors will not be able to help him then,” an advocate at the Nampally court said.

Speculations are rife that Raju might shift to Care Hospitals, a private healthcare facility run by Dr. Somaraju. Both the Rajus are said to be good friends.

But Raju might wait for some more days, till the CBI moves the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s order to grant him bail. “ If the apex court cancels his bail, Raju will have to stay in a hospital to avoid jail,” a source said.