Ahmedabad, Jan 05: A local court today permitted noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, prime accused in an alleged visa racket, to visit New Delhi, Trichur and Hyderabad from January 7 to 11 for various programmes. Additional city and sessions judge P B Desai permitted Sarabhai to visit these places and directed her to report to Naranpura Police Station, which is investigating the case, on her arrival on January 12, her advocate Darshan Shah told news agencies.

On December 15, Sarabhai had moved an application seeking permission to visit Mumbai on December 24 and several places including Mumbai, Delhi, Trichur and Hyderabad during January, 2004.

While granting anticipatory bail to Sarabhai on October 29, the court had directed her to seek permission for travelling out of Gujarat. On November 17, the court had also rejected her plea to 'modify' the anticipatory bail conditions that restricted her travelling out of Gujarat.
Sarabhai has also moved the high court seeking quashing of the FIR registered against her.

The city police have lodged offences under Sections 420 and 409 of IPC against the Sarabhai, an `agent' Dhimant Upadhyay and Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, after a complaint by one Manushi Shah, who alleged that the danseuse had defrauded her of a sum payable for cancellation of a cultural tour to the United States.

Bureau Report