The Hindu : National : Court gives 4-day police custody for Bina Ramani

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Friday, Sep 08, 2006

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Court gives 4-day police custody for Bina Ramani

Staff Reporter

Orders medical examination every 24 hours

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

Bina Ramani at the Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday remanded socialite Bina Ramani to four-day police custody in a case in which she allegedly used forged documents to claim that she was the owner of "Once Upon A Time," a restaurant-cum-bar also known as "Tamarind Court" in South Delhi, and that she had a licence to serve liquor there.

It was at Tamarind Court that ramp model Jessica Lall was shot dead in the early hours of April 30, 1999, when she allegedly refused to serve liquor to Siddharth Vashishtha alias Manu Sharma as the bar had closed for the day.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kamini Lau directed the Delhi police to get Ms. Ramani medically examined every 24 hours and allow her to keep medicines with her if required. Her lawyer could be present during police interrogation. But the lawyer should not interfere during the questioning.

Ms. Ramani's lawyer might also accompany her to Goa, where the police would take her to recover documents related to the case. The police, who sought a five-day custody of Ms. Ramani, said the other accused involved in the forgery of documents were to be traced at her instance.

A joint team of the Delhi and the Goa police arrested Ms. Ramani on Wednesday in Goa when they saw her "walking on a road."

Counsel said Ms. Ramani called up Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul, intimating him that she was in Goa and that she was not running away from the law. However, the court objected to Ms. Ramani calling up the Police Commissioner, saying an accused could not talk to a senior police officer.

Counsel objected to Ms. Ramani's arrest after sunset in violation of a recent amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code. It says women accused cannot be arrested after sunset and before sunrise. Ms. Lau said she could not say anything about it, as there were ambiguities in the law, which only the higher court had the power to decide.

Defending the arrest after sunset, the police said it was made under unusual circumstances, as Ms. Ramani was found walking on the road.

False declaration

Ms. Ramani will also be questioned in connection with another case registered against her for having submitted a false affidavit to a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), claiming that she was an Indian national.

The police registered the case this June alleging that on April 26, 1999 Ms. Ramani had submitted the affidavit claiming that she was an Indian national and that she married George Mailhot. However, she was a British national at that time.

On the basis of the affidavit, the SDM issued her a marriage certificate, which was withdrawn in May 1999 when the false declaration came to light.

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