Rajkot college girls caught with liquor get anticipatory bail in cheating case

“The court has appreciated our argument that extant case has been filed with malafied intention to make out a case against my clients for action under PASA later on. According to the complaint, the crime was committed on June 11 but FIR was flied a week later. The prosecution has no explanation for the delay in filing the case. This proves that the case is motivated,” Kamlesh Shah, advocate of Butani and Dharia said.

Kadar Sama, an attendant of a petrol pump near Rani Tower on Kalavad road had filed the complaint with Malaviya Nagar police on June 18 alleging Butani and Dharia cheated him. In his complaint, Sama alleged that the two women did not pay bill after having their car refuelled at 3 am on June 11 and drove away. He had said that a man in a white Scorpio car gave another petrol pump attendant Rs500 and asked him to fill petrol in the i20 car of two women.

However, when Sama was refuelling the fuel tank of the women’s car, the duo asked him to fill up the entire tank. The total bill was Rs3,020. When Sama asked for balance Rs2,520, the women asked him to take them from the Scorpio driver. But the Scorpio drove away and the women also followed it in their car.

This was fourth case against Butani and Dharia within span of a week. They were first booked by Gandhigram police on June 14 when they were allegedly caught with liquor, CDs containing porn videos, four iPhones and Rs1.2 lakh cash. Cases of prohibition and possessing obscene material were filed against them and they were arrested. They were released on bail after spending a day in police custody. But in a twist, the women had filed a complaint with court alleging police had beaten them up while they were on remand. A couple of days later, a home guard had filed a complaint against the two women alleging they abused and threatened him. This was followed by Sama’s complaint.

Apprehending their arrest in cheating case, Butani and Dharia moved the sessions court and filed application through their advocate Shah for anticipatory bail on June 23. Assistant public prosecutor opposed the bail application stating that the accused had cheated the complainant that the duo had a criminal mindset as was proven by other cases that they are facing.

But Shah said that CCTV footage of the petrol pump does not show any conversation between the women and Sama and that paying the bill was responsibility of the Scorpio driver.

Delivering his verdict, the court granted bail to the two women.