Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted transit pre-arrest bail for two weeks to the woman who claimed that actor and BJP MP Ravi Kishen is the father of her daughter. The HC granted interim prosecution to Aparna Soni, her husband Rajesh Soni and daughter Shinova Soni to allow them to approach local court in Lucknow for proper relief.
The three approached the HC after Ravi Kishan's wife, Preeti Shukla, registered an FIR against six people, at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow alleging that the mother-daughter duo were blackmailing them. Shukla also alleged that these persons threatened Kishan and his family and tried to extort Rs20 crore.
On Tuesday, state advocate oppose the plea contending that their custody was required. However, Justice RN Laddha questioned the state’s stand considering that the offence was not registered in Maharashtra and hence not being probed by local police.
Shukla’s advocate Aniket Nikam too opposed the petition contending that the offence was registered in April and had enough chance to approach the local court in Lucknow to seek pre-arrest bail. The three initially approached the sessions court at Dindoshi which rejected their plea on May 6. Nikam added that they failed to explain why they did not approach the local court in Lucknow for relief.
Advocate Parth Sanghrajka, appearing for the three, submitted that the actor has substantial clout in the area. Justifying the apprehension, he said that even one of their lawyers was made an accused in the case.
Justice Laddha, however, said that the prosecution in Maharashtra does not have much say, but said appropriate conditions may be imposed, so the accused may not misuse the limited relief granted by the court to approach the local court there with anticipatory bail.
The judge clarified that he has not gone into the merits of the case. The court said that since there is a possibility of the accused being arrested, it was protecting them for a limited period of two weeks to approach competent court in Lucknow. Thr court further clarified that the three would not leave Maharashtra except for travelling to Lucknow to file an application there.
