Ahmedabad, Oct 29: Danseuse Mallika Sarabhai today got a reprieve after a local court granted her a conditional anticipatory bail in an alleged US visa racket case. Additional City and Sessions Court Judge P B Desai, while granting Mallika anticipatory bail, directed her not to leave Gujarat without the court's permission and to surrender her passport to the investigating agency.
Sarabhai, who was granted bail on a personal surety of Rs one lakh, was also directed to remain present at the Naranpura police station, where the complaint has been lodged against her, on November 01 between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon.
The court had reserved its order on the danseuse's plea after completing hearing the arguments of her lawyer R K Shah and public prosecutor J M Panchal on October 24.
In its observation, the court said, "no doubt that these allegations are serious in nature and need thorough investigation. But one cannot lose track of the fact that the complainant (Manushee Shah) sat over the complaint for such a long time and lodged it only recently."
"Also in concern, is that the applicant (Mallika) had reportedly threatened the complainant and forced her and other troupe members to sing tunes in her favour", Desai observed.
On October 21, the city police had registered an offence under Sections 420 and 409 against Mallika, one 'agent' Dhimant Upadhyay, Darpana Academy and its employees after one Manushee Shah alleged that the danseuse had duped her by not repaying an amount payable for cancellation of a tour to the US.
Bureau Report