Date:14/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/14/stories/2006091406541300.htm

National

Bina Ramani sent to judicial custody

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday remanded Bina Ramani, a key witness in the Jessica Lal murder case, to judicial custody in a forgery case on conclusion of her police remand.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Kamini Lau sent Ms. Ramani to judicial custody till September 27 when the Delhi police produced her before the court. Counsel for the police submitted that they did not require her further custody as interrogation was over.

On Monday, the ACMM extended the police remand of Ms. Ramani for two days and allowed the police to take her to Goa to recover the originals of documents that she allegedly forged to claim ownership of "Once Upon A Time," a restaurant-cum-bar, also known as Tamarind Court, in South Delhi, and that the restaurant had licence to serve liquor. It was at this restaurant that ramp model Jessica Lal was fatally shot in the early hours of April 30, 1999, when she allegedly refused to serve liquor to Siddharth Vashishtha alias Manu Sharma as the bar had closed for the day.

Ms. Ramani has sought bail in the case.