Written by: Express News Service
2 min readPuneJun 3, 2011 02:33 AM IST
First published on: Jun 3, 2011 at 02:33 AM IST
Model-actor Jiya Ashok Chopra (22) and professional dancer Vedika Tilak Kumar Shivsagar (22) of Mumbai arrested in a case of procuring passports using fake addresses in Pune,have been granted bail by Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) R L Wankhade.
The court,however,rejected the bail application of passport agent Arvind Rajendra Bhat (32) who allegedly conspired with a Pune-based agent to get their passport using fake address proof.
Chopra and Vedika were released on Thursday against a personal bond of Rs 15,000 each and a solvent surety of an equal amount.
Bundgarden police had arrested Chopra and Bhat on Friday. Vedika was arrested on Sunday. Their police custody ended on Thursday and the court had remanded them in judicial custody,after which they applied for bail.
Earlier,police constable Digambar Laxman Ghorpade of Bundgarden police station was arrested for allegedly helping Sajid Batliwala (45),a suspected Dawood gang member,get a passport using a fake name and address.
The address proof and application of Chopra and Vedika were alleged to have been cleared by Ghorpade,at the instance of Bhat.
Jiya wanted to go abroad for a modeling assignment and urgently needed a passport. Being a native of Delhi,she faced problems in arranging documents in Mumbai. She allegedly approached Bhat and paid Rs 7,000 for a passport. Bhat is said to have conspired with Pune-based Inayatali Hariyani and others to arrange a fake residential proof and other documents,mentioning Jiya as a resident of Gera Park Society,Boat Club Road,Pune.
The money paid by Jiya was divided among the agents and Ghorpade,investigations reveal. Ghorpade is believed to have played a role in issuing at least 67 passports with fake names and addresses.
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