Sangeetha Chatterjee, Kolkata-based model and accused in red sanders smuggling activities, again failed to surrender before the IV Additional District Court here on Monday, though the Alipore court in Kolkata directed her to do so in connection with her arrest by the Chittoor Task Force in Kolkata on May 6.
From morning till evening, special police parties were posted in the court premises expecting the arrival of Sangeetha “at any time,” but in vain.
Sangeetha was arrested by the Chittoor police on May 6 on charges of red sanders smuggling, and their efforts to bring her to Chittoor on transit warrant did not materialise as she could obtain interim bail from the Alipore court in Kolkata, which later directed her to appear before Chittoor court on three occasions on May 18, 30 and June 20. Everytime the bail order was extended following her appeal on health grounds. This is the fourth time that Sangeetha did not appear before the court.
Deputy SP (Special Operations) V. Giridhar told The Hindu that they were yet to know the reasons behind the model not visiting Chittoor on Monday.
“We have no information whether she had once again obtained any bail extension order from the Alipore court. Whether she has violated the court order or not we cannot ascertain now. We will chalk out our plan of action after getting clarity on the matter,” he said.
The official further said that their (Chittoor police) recent petition in the Kolkata High Court, seeking nullifying of the Alipore court’s bail extension orders had not yet come up for hearing. “We have brought to the notice of the Kolkata High Court that by repeatedly seeking bail extensions from the Alipore court, the accused had every chance to manipulate the circumstances in her favour. We further contended that the lower court in Kolkata had nothing to do with our investigation process,” the DSP said.
The official did not rule out seeking a non-bailable warrant against Sangeetha, either from the Kolkata or Chittoor court.
Last month, the Chittoor Task Force police displayed a huge quantum of seized gold and silver articles and documents of flats worth over Rs. 3 crores, belonging to Sangeetha Chatterjee.
She is wanted in three cases of red sanders smuggling in Chittoor district.
The Task Force detected the clandestine business links between Sangeetha and red sanders smuggler Markondas Lakshmanan, currently lodged in the Kadapa Central Prison.
