Girl on fake TV sting tape gets bail

NEW DELHI: Rashmi Singh, the aspiring journalist who is an accused in the fake sting operation, was granted bail by a city court on Saturday on her furnishing of a personal bond of Rs 20,000 and a surety of the same amount.

The relief came after Rashmi told the court that she was persuaded by reporter Prakash Singh to participate in the sting operation with a job offer. She said she did it in the false belief that it was being done in ‘‘public interest, to expose a social evil’’. She also claimed that once it became clear that teacher Uma Khurana was being framed, she wished to withdraw from the sting but was threatened by Prakash.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) Alok Aggarawal, while releasing Rashmi, noted, ‘‘The accused Rashmi Singh, being a small-time reporter, was persuaded by the main accused, Prakash, to participate in the sting operation. She was also promised a job in a news channel.

It seems she carried out the sting operation with a larger goal of exposing a great social evil. At this stage, Rashmi is no more required for the purpose of investigation as her interrogation is complete and I am of the firm opinion to release her on bail.’’

R K Thakur, the counsel for Rashmi, argued that she was a victim in this sting operation and she was used as a tool by co-accused Prakash and his associate, Virender Arora. She had no knowledge about Uma’s role and she did whatever Prakash told her to do, he added.

Thakur maintained that both Prakash and Virender entered into a criminal conspiracy and allegedly forced Rashmi to act as a call girl, but the truth was that neither was she a prostitute, nor a student in that school. Saying that ‘‘there was no substantial evidence against her’’, Thakur claimed that at the most the evidence against her was that she had given a false statement against Khurana.

Opposing the bail application, additional public prosecutor (APP) P Bhatia argued that the case was at an initial stage of investigation and if she was released on bail, she might hamper the case of the prosecution. However, he did not contest Rashmi’s claim that she participated in the sting operation at Prakash’s behest.

The investigating officer (IO), K P Singh, submitted a copy of the transcript of the conversation between Prakash and Khurana and a chip which has been seized by the police. Meanwhile, the court on Friday also extended the judicial custody of Prakash and his associate Arora by two days.