The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to a Swiss couple convicted of sexually exploiting minor girls, but asked them not to leave the country till it took a decision on an appeal filed by the Maharashtra government challenging a Bombay high court order reducing their sentence.

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Staying the HC order, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice V N Khare said that the couple would be granted bail after furnishing bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court at Mumbai.

Wilheim, 64, Lily Marti, 58, were arrested from a resort in Mumbai and a trial court last year sentenced them to seven years of imprisonment for sexually exploiting girls to prepare pornographic material.

The duo moved the HC and pleaded for reduction of sentence to the period of three years and three months already undergone by them and expressed willingness to pay Rs 1 lakh to each to the victims. The HC accepted the plea.