MP, wife in judicial custody till Dec 16: Lawyers tell court

New Delhi: BSP MP Dhananjay Singh and his wife Jagriti Singh`s counsel on Thursday told a Delhi court that judicial custody of the couple has been extended till December 16 by a magistrate in Tihar Jail, where they are lodged in connection with the murder of their maid. The defence advocates informed Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha, who had issued production warrants against the accused due to their non-appearance on December 3, that they could not be produced before her even today as the policemen were busy in the Delhi Assembly election duty. They, however, said that a magistrate posted in the Tihar Jail has extended their judicial custody till December 16. Even today, no accused were brought to the court from the jail as the police officials, who escorts them to and from jail to court, were on polling duty. Dhananjay, a BSP MP from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, and Jagriti, a dental surgeon at the R M L Hospital here were arrested on November 5 in connection with the death of their 35-year-old maid Rakhi Bhadra, a resident of West Bengal. The MP, who already faces charges of murder and offences under UP Gangsters Act, was arrested for allegedly destroying evidence, not informing police about the maid`s death immediately and employing a juvenile as domestic help. Jagriti was arrested under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 344 (wrongful confinement) of Indian Penal Code and Juvenile Justice Act. Magistrate Manocha had dismissed Dhananjay`s bail plea on November 20, saying that allegations against him were "very serious" and he did not deserve any leniency due his previous conduct. Dhananjay had later moved a bail plea before a sessions court but his application was dismissed by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma who observed that he had "actively participated" in atrocities which aggravated the miseries of his domestic helps.