Locked-up maid: Court rejects bail plea of doctor's wife

New Delhi, Apr 6: Slamming the doctor couple for trying to settle the case against them by offering Rs 75,000 to their minor maid, whom they had allegedly left locked-up and starving in their flat while vacationing in Bangkok, a Delhi court today rejected the bail plea of the medico's wife.

Duty Magistrate Arul Varma dismissed the bail plea of Dr Sanjay Verma's wife Sumita Verma. The couple had appeared before it after the expiry of their two days in police custody. The court extended the couple's police remand for another three days after the probe agency said it need their custody for further interrogation.

"Bail application for the accused (Sumita Verma) is dismissed. Both the accused are directed to appear before it on April 9," the court said.

Pleading for the bail, Sumita said she is a mother of an 11-year-old girl and there is no one in her family to look after her. During the argument, the couple offered to pay Rs 75,000 as compensation to the maid and her family to settle the case. Annoyed over the offer, the court said it was not possible as they were charged with non-compoundable offences.

The police said the couple had locked up the 13-year-old girl in their flat at Dwarka in South West Delhi on March 25 before leaving the country for Bangkok. The girl, hailing from Jharkhand, was rescued four days later on March 29 after neighbours saw her crying in the flat's balcony.

PTI