Uma Khurana's questioning by police begins

New Delhi, Sept 11 (UNI) A day after she was granted bail by a local court here, questioning of Uma Khurana, the government school teacher shown pushing students into prostitution in a fake sting operation by a local channel, began this morning.

The questioning of Khurana began at about 1130 hrs, said a senior police official adding that the 'process' began soon after her arrival at the R K Puram branch of the Crime Branch.

''The interrogation is likely to continue for some time as several clarifications on the gaps in the 'sting' story were yet to be filled.'' Meanwhile, Khurana's lawyer said his client's plea seeking rest for a day or two after her stint in jail, before she was subjected to questioning, was turned down and she was summoned to appear for interrogation this morning.

Yesterday, Uma Khurana was released from Tihar Jail at about 2015 hrs after Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Alok Aggarwal granted her bail on a personal bond of Rs 5,000 saying ''she is more a victim than an offender''.

In another development, the Delhi High Court sought the 'case diary' of the entire episode from the police by September 12, while asking the Delhi government to consider reviewing her dismissal from the job as the sting operation had been discredited.

However, the police said it was not giving a 'clean chit' to Khurana yet as the case against her still existed.

Khurana, a mathematics teacher of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, was shown running a syndicate of prostitution and making pornographic films, featuring her present and former girl students, in a sting carried out by a reporter of 'Live India' television channel.

The sting, as investigations unfolded, turned out to be fake and the reporter, Prakash Singh, was arrested on September 7. He was later sent in seven-day judicial custody the following day.

The same day police questioned Sudhir Chaudhary, CEO of 'Live India' for about one-and-a-half hours who told them that the reporter, Prakash Singh, did not take the channel into confidence about any of his 'manipulations' or that he knew the girl or her identity.

Singh's arrest by Crime Branch sleuths came a day after the sting 'victim' Rashmi Khanna was arrested.

The airing of the operation on August 30 had led to mob violence near Turkman Gate in Central Delhi's Daryaganj area.

UNI