Surat, June 13: A local court today heard the bail plea of Sunanda Shetty, mother of actress Shilpa Shetty, in a case of alleged extortion and deferred the matter till June 16 even as Umra police grilled her husband Surendra for six hours in the same matter. Prosecutor Jatin Gandhi sought Sunanda's custodial interrogation for a day on the ground that there was prima facie evidence against her. Arguments were, however, inconclusive.
In a related development, Sunanda's husband, Surendra Shetty, was grilled for six hours by Umra police. His interrogation would continue tomorrow, police sources said. The police have already interrogated Shetty family's driver Dilip Palsekar who has been in service with them since last two years.
In the court, Sunanda's lawyer opposed prosecution's plea for custodial interrogation of Sunanda on the ground that she had already been arrested and granted transit bail in keeping with an order of a Mumbai court. Thereafter she had urged for regular bail in a court in Surat, he said. Sunanda's husband and co-accused, Surendra, has been granted interim liberty by Gujarat High Court and asked to deposit his passport. As per the high court directive, he was interrogated by Umra police on June 6 and today also.
Police registered a case against Shilpa's parents and underworld don Fazlu Rehman for allegedly extorting money from owner of Praful sarees Pankaj Agarwal. They alleged Shilpa's parents had “hired” a gangster to recover Rs 80 lakh payable to the actress by Agarwal for acting in an advertising film. Bureau Report