Court grants bail to rape accused

Mumbai, May 9 (UNI) A sessions court today granted bail to Sunil Morpani, an accused in the alleged rape of a 28-year-old South African model on December 27 last year, on the grounds of parity.

Granting the bail, Additional Sessions Judge S S Joshi observed that he should be released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and a surety of like amount.

The judge also directed Morpani to surrender his passport and not to tamper with the evidence.

The accused -- Sunil Morpani and Suresh Krishnani -- had been charge-sheeted by the police under various sections of IPC. They were accused of drugging the South African model at suburban Hotel Bawa International by spiking her drink, kidnapping her, and then taking her to another hotel in the distant suburb of Kalyan and allegedly raping her there for two consecutive days. After which, she was dropped at her residence in western suburb of Andheri.

The model had come to Mumbai to make a career in Bollywood films.

Sessions court had earlier granted bail to another accused Suresh Krishnani on February four on the grounds that charge-sheet had been filed and investigations were over.

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