HC allows Bina Ramani to go abroad

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday permitted Bina Ramani, an important witness in the Jessica Lall murder case, an to visit Phuket in Thailand to attend her niece's wedding.

A division bench of Justice Manmohan Sareen and Justice Manju Goel asked Ramani to surrender the passports of her husband George Melhot and daughter Malani.

The court asked Ramani to deposit a cheque of Rs 5 lakh with the court registrar.

She was asked to come back on the intervening night of April 3 and 4 to assist investigation in the case.

Acting on a petition filed by the Ramanis, the court had earlier asked the police to file a reply on Friday.

While issuing notice to the police, Justice Vikramjit Sen had however refused to quash the 'look-out notices' served on the witnesses who had deposed in the murder case of ramp model Jessica Lall in 1999.

The counsel for the petitioners had argued that the petitioners may be permitted to visit the US only for 14 days.

They were witnesses in the case and had been cooperating with the prosecution since the case was registered, he said.

However, the Delhi Police counsel had opposed the petition, saying a fresh FIR had been filed against Bina Ramani for alleged destruction of evidence.

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All of them are foreign nationals and might not return once they leave for abroad, the police had contended.

The police had issued look-out notice against all the witnesses after challenging the acquittal of the accused by the trial court.

On March 22, the High Court had issued bailable warrants against prime accused Manu Sharma, son of Haryana minister Vinod Sharma, Vikas Yadav, son of former Rajya Sabha member D P Yadav and seven other accused.

The Delhi Police had challenged acquittal of the nine accused on February 21 by the then Additional Sessions Judge S L Bhayana due to 'shoddy trial' and lack of clinching evidence.

According to the prosecution, Jessica was shot dead by Manu Sharma at Bina Ramani's Tamarind Court, at the Qutub Colonnade in South Delhi on the night of April 29-30, 1999.

(With agency inputs)