A sessions court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of Vihari Poddar, the wife of textile tycoon and Siyaram Silk Mills director Abhishek Poddar.
Earlier this month, Ms. Poddar — who is the Managing Director of the Singapore-based Vihari Jewels — was arrested at the airport for smuggling in jewellery in her innerwear.
She was returning from Singapore.
In her bail application, Ms. Poddar claimed that the jewellery she was carrying was for a wedding she was supposed to attend in Jaipur on August 9.
On August 1, she walked through the green channel at Mumbai airport, which meant she had nothing to declare.
But the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted her, even as she denied carrying contraband.
When officials frisked her, they found jewellery worth Rs. 2.35 crore hidden in her innerwear.
Ms. Poddar was booked under various sections of the Customs Act.
“We presented our case effectively but the court rejected her bail application. We still haven’t decided our future course of action,” said Ms. Poddar’s lawyer Amit Desai.
Raids on shops
A special prosecutor representing the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence told the court that they found 41 pieces of jewellery that were unaccounted for when officials raided three shops of Ms. Poddar’s father.
One of the shops is in Grand Hyatt. Officials, the prosecutor told the court, wanted to further investigate the matter.
Trips under scanner
The prosecutor also told the court that officials needed to investigate 28 trips that Ms. Poddar made between Mumbai and Singapore in the last few months.
