Kundra’s lawyer says police probe not fair, alleges Nimesh main culprit

PUNE: The defence lawyer, representing Anushree Kundra in the Juhi Prasad murder case, told the Pune cantonment court on Friday that the Pune crime branch had failed to conduct a “fair probe” in the case. He alleged that Anushree’s former boyfriend Nimesh Sinha was the main culprit in the case.
Anushree had allegedly set Nimesh and his fiancee Juhi, a New Delhi based lawyer, on fire at Nimesh’s flat at New market plaza society in Wanowrie on October 13.Juhi, who had received nearly 90 per cent burns in the incident, died at a private hospital here on October 22. Sinha survived with 10 to 15 per cent burns. Anushree, who was produced before judicial magistrate first class Ms J P Kotnis, following the expiry of her police custody, has been sent to magisterial custody till December 8. She had surrendered before the court on November 15.
Inspector Arun Walture of the crime branch (unit III) produced Anushree, who had her face covered, before the court on Friday. Walture filed a plea for extending her police custody by four days. Assistant public prosecutor Balasaheb Patil submitted before the court that the police had searched Anushree’s New Delhi residence, but could not find her green top, the cellphone she used and its sim card. The police suspect that the top she was wearing on the day the crime took place could carry traces of petrol.
Patil contended that Anushree was involved in a “serious crime” and that sufficient time was needed to collect evidence against her. He told the court that she was not cooperating with the police and feared that she might have destroyed evidence. The plea also stated that the police had seized a desktop hard disk from the law firm where Juhi worked. Opposing the prosecution’s plea, defence lawyer Vaibhav Jathar made a forceful submission before the court that Nimesh was the main culprit. He argued vehemently that the police had failed to probe Nimesh’s role in spite of Anushree making specific complaints against him during her custodial interrogation and also revealing his involvement in her surrender plea.
Jathar argued that the crime branch, which had taken over the probe from the Wanowrie police, had till date not visited the crime scene and not seized the liquor bottles found there. Jathar said Anushree had lost her cellphone while travelling and was not in possession of the green top. He blamed the police for using illegal means to seek her custody. Jathar pleaded that she be given magisterial custody. He filed phursis (intimation to court) stating that the police had taken her signature on her statement which was in Marathi. The same was not explained to her or read to her in Hindi or English. After hearing both the sides, the court rejected the prosecution’s plea for extending her police custody as the police had not shown progress in the probe and sent her to magisterial custody till December 8.