Karnataka - Bangalore

Last person to call Chitralekha Urs deposes

Staff Reporter

Automobile dealer who had lent money to Bharati Urs also deposes

BANGALORE: Naval Nariyalwala, the last person to speak to Chitralekha Urs before she went missing and was murdered, deposed before a fast track sessions court hearing the case on Monday.

Mr. Nariyalwala, who works as a chartered accountant, said he was a close friend of Chitralekha and used to interact with her quite often. On January 19, 2004, he called her on her mobile phone at 6.50 p.m.

She told him that she was in a meeting with Bharati Urs in Palm Grove Nursery on Palace Road.

Later he received a call from Chitralekha's sister, Hema Mandanna, enquiring about her sister's whereabouts as she was not reachable on her mobile phones. He checked and found the same response.

He then tried to contact Chitralekha's other friends and also went around the city in search of her. He found Bharati Urs, one of the three accused, in the High Grounds Police Station, where he had gone there to know about the location of Chitralekha's mobile phone.

Earlier, Paradar Zal, an automobile dealer, deposed about the loan he had given to Bharati Urs. Mr. Zal said it was on the word of Chitralekha that he gave a loan of Rs. 10 lakh to Bharati Urs.

He gave the amount in the form of cheque drawn on the State Bank of India's St. Marks Road branch.

Bharati Urs credited the cheque to her account in Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. Bharati Urs paid the first interest amount of Rs. 1.2 lakh on September 9, 2003.

He called Chitralekha and informed about the delay made by Bharati Urs in giving the second instalment.

He asked Chitralekha to arrange for the return of the principal amount.

Chitralekha promised to speak to Bharati Urs, he expressed.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu