No doc for Rahul in lock-up

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed Rahul Mahajan’s counsel to meet his client for an hour this evening, even as it refused to entertain a plea that a doctor and a lawyer be present throughout the remaining duration of his police custody.

Metropolitan magistrate AK Chaturvedi permitted Sunil Mittal and Harsh Khanna to meet late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s son at the Tughlaq Road police station between 7-8 pm this evening. Rahul is expected to be produced in court tomorrow, when his police custody ends. The court similarly allowed counsel Manoj Taneja to meet his client Sahil Zaroo between 6-7 p.m. everyday till June 12, when his police custody comes to an end.

However, it refused to entertain an application filed on Rahul’s behalf, apprehending ill-treatment by investigating officials and requesting the presence of a doctor and a lawyer throughout his custodial interrogation. Observing that such permission would defeat the very purpose of police remand, the court said such presence of was “neither permissible nor desirable throughout custody”.

During arguments, appearing for the prosecution, counsel BS Joon had opposed the defence application on the ground that any such order would hamper investigations. Mr Joon also pointed out that Rahul, on his production in court, had at no point suggested that he was being mistreated by police officials in any way.

In a related development, the late BJP leader’s key aide Harish Sharma and his driver Ganesh, accused of destruction of evidence in the drug abuse case, were granted bail for personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each and surety of like amount.

Meanwhile, Sarangi Mahajan, wife of Praveen Mahajan, accused of killing elder brother and BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, on Wednesday said her husband shot the BJP leader in a fit of rage.

“All three Mahajan brothers, Pramod, Praveen and Prakash, are headstrong and can get angered in no time and react very harsh,” Sarangi said, adding they cool down equally fast. “But by that time the damage is already done,” she said in an apparent reaction to her husband killing his elder brother on April 22.