After judicial remand,a hug for wife & a promise to return

Ahuja was allegedly handcuffed while being taken to the court and his lawyer complained that it was illegal and violated human rights. “The police should not handcuff Ahuja just because the media is constantly filming him. His hands hurt and he is being humiliated without reason,” said his lawyer,Shrikant Shivde.

Public prosecutor S Kasture,however,denied the charge. He said Ahuja was not co-operating in the investigation.

The police sought time to investigate if Ahuja had taken drugs or alcohol at the time of the alleged rape. Shivde argued that Ahuja was a teetotaller and that police custody was not necessary for medical examination.

Also,Shivde said,Ahuja’s blood and urine samples were already with the forensic laboratory. “If needed police custody can be sought even after the report is produced before the court,” said Shivde,arguing that the police have not raised any new point that would have called for further custody.

DCP (Zone 9) Niket Kaushik declared that the police would oppose any bail application. “The judicial custody will not affect our case as we have enough evidence. If we get anything more significant,we will seek custody. We will take a decision after the urine and blood results arrive the day after tomorrow. The results of primary medical tests arrived today but had no facts relevant to the case,” he said.

The police,who had earlier said the woman allegedly raped was 18 years old,now said she was 20,citing the school leaving certificate obtained from her home in Roha,Raigad.

Kaushik said,“The girl’s parents have come down from Roha and are staying with her. She has been provided security from any harassment or influencing.”

In same jail,real and reel Salems unlikely to meet
The judicial custody made Shiney Ahuja a fellow-inmate of underworld don Abu Salem,whose role he played in the film Gangster. They are,however,unlikely to meet at Arthur Road Jail.

“Abu Salem is in a separate cell. Since Shiney Ahuja is not a hardened criminal,there is no question of him being kept even close to Salem or other gangsters,” jail superintendent Rajendra Dhamne said. He added,“No matter how big a star Ahuja is,he will be treated like any other undertrial.”

A jail source said,“Salem is on his way back from Hyderabad where he was taken for a case under the Passports Act. He is lodged in barrack 10 along with 1993 bomb blast co-accused Riyaz Siddique and Abdul Qayum.” He said Ahuja would be lodged in the Buddha Barrack (cells meant for elderly prisoners) on entry. On Friday morning,he would be shifted to a regular undertrials’ cell.