The sessions court has rejected the bail plea of 34-year-old Mira Road-based baker Anthony Paul, booked for framing actor Chrisann Pereira and DJ Clayton Rodrigues in a fake narcotics case, which got them arrested in Sharjah. While Pereira was freed after 26 days owing to the Mumbai police’s persistence, Rodrigues’ plea against his 25-year jail term was rejected in November last year.
Details of case
The police charged Paul with forgery and under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. While refusing to grant bail to Paul, the sessions court confirmed the allegation that he kept a narcotic substance in the trophies or cake given to his victims to carry during fake assignments in the UAE.
Paul’s modus operandi was to get aspiring artists to carry trophies with drugs and extort money from their families to free them after their arrest, of which he had no intention. He was aided in the scam by Rajesh Babhote alias Ravi. Another victim of Paul was Rishikesh Pandya, who refused to carry the trophy.
The court said that the accused acted in conspiracy and there was a plan to commit the crime. “If released on bail, he may tamper with the prosecution’s evidence. There will be threat to the prosecution witnesses as well and chances are that he would flee from justice,” the court said.
As per the prosecution, Paul had differences with Chrisann’s mother Premila and the assignment (including the trophy with drugs) was a part of the plan to take revenge.
