Model, dancer's police custody extended

PUNE: A magisterial court on Tuesday extended the custody remand of model Jiya Chopra, professional dancer Vedika Shivsagar and passport agent Arvind Bhat, arrested in the passport racket at the Bund Garden police station. They were arrested on May 27 and 29.
Assistant commissioner of police (Cantonment division) Mohammad Makandar produced the suspects before the court of judicial magistrate first class Rohidas Wankhade, after their custody remand expired.Assistant public prosecutor Shilpa Mahatekar told the court that Bhat's custodial interrogation was essential to the investigations as he had allegedly taken the assistance of another agent, Inayat Ali Hariyani, to obtain passports for Chopra and Shivsagar.
Arguing that Bhat had given Hariyani several fake documents to prepare the passports, Mahatekar sought time to identity the persons responsible for forging the documents.
Mahatekar said the police had seized Chopra and Shivsagar's passports, but the two had never stayed at the addresses mentioned on the passports. She pleaded for sufficient time to conduct the probe.
Defence lawyers Shrikant Shivade and Yogesh Pawar opposed the prosecution's plea on the grounds that the court had given the police sufficient time to investigate that matter and that custodial interrogation of the suspects was not essential.
The court upheld the prosecution's plea and extended the trio's custody till June 2.