Pravin's custody extended; asks movement in jail

Mumbai, May 17: Pravin, arrested on the charge of murdering his elder brother and senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, today sought newspapers and freedom to move within jail as a local court extended his judicial custody by two weeks till May 31.

His counsel Devendra Yadav also pleaded for psychiatric examination of the accused to ascertain the motive behind the crime and return of his car.

However, Metropolitan Magistrate M Y Sheikh adjourned hearing on all four pleas to May 19 when the prosecution sought time to file its reply.

The brief remand proceedings were conducted through vide-conferencing between the Bhoiwada court and Arthur Road jail where Pravin is lodged since May 3 when Mahajan succumbed to gunshot injuries allegedly inflicted by the accused.

Wearing a blue jean and a striped shirt, 46-year-old Pravin with peppered beard was seen seated on a stool next to a table with a policeman standing behind him during the proceedings which, lasted less than three minutes.

Speaking in Marathi, Pravin said newspapers were made available to him when he was in police custody but same are being denied to him since he was lodged in jail. Secondly, he said since he is lodged in the high-security '' egg shell barrack'' in the jail, he should be taken out of it and allowed movement within the jail premises and sought the necessary directions to the jail authorities.

To both the oral pleas made to the judge, Mr Sheikh said the defence counsel should make the submissions in writing. Pravin's counsel later submitted the application listing both the pleas and the judge posted it for hearing on May 19.

Earlier, Mr Yadav, in his submission to the court, pleaded for psychiatric examination of the accused, saying it is necessary as the police have not yet been to establish the motive behind the crime. He said the court had rejected the plea on three occasions earlier when the accused was in police custody. The lawyer said now that Pravin is in judicial custody, the court should order his psychiatric examination to ascertain the motive behind the crime.

The defence counsel also pleaded for return of Pravin's car to his family, saying the latter need it as it was the only personal transport available to them.

Immediately after the defence submitted the application seeking mind test and release of car by the police, Special Public Prosecutor Shrikant Bhatt sought time to file reply and the same was granted by Mr Sheikh, who then adjourned the hearing to May 19.

The prosecution has been opposing the psychiatric test on the ground that Pravin is mentally sound and is being regularly examined by doctors as per the Supreme Court guidelines. They opposed release of the car on the ground that police investigaion into the murder case was still in progress.

Pravin had travelled to the Worli residence of the 56-year-old BJP leader from his home in adjoining Thane township in his car which was later seized by the police. However, he had hired a cab to travel to the Worli police station where he surrendered with a firearm soon after allegedly pumping three bullets into Mahajan in the latter's 15th floor apartment in Poorna building on April 22.

Pravin spent 11 days in police custody till May 3 when he was first sent to judicial custody for two weeks till today.

UNI

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