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Journalism of Courage
In a new development in the Neeraj Grover murder case, sources in the Mumbai Police on Thursday said a top-level IPS officer, a retired deputy commissioner of police and a politician had called up the Malad police seeking an explanation from officers as to why Kannada movie actress Mariah Monica Susairaj was being grilled by them. This was before the Crime Branch announced that the case had been cracked.
8220;A serving officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police, a retired DCP who was posted in the Local Arms division of the Mumbai Police and an important MNS politician had called Malad police station on May 8 and asked questions as to why Susairaj was being called to the police station and questioned,8221; said an officer.
Susairaj and her naval officer boyfriend Emile Jerome Mathew were arrested by the Crime Branch on May 21 for their alleged roles in the May 7 murder of Neeraj Grover, a top executive at Synergy Adlabs and former creative head of Balaji Telefilms.
According to sources, investigators probing the murder suspect that Susairaj had reached out to an 8216;influential and well-connected8217; friend, who in turn contacted the two police officers and the politician to garner help for her.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, both Susairaj and Mathew were produced at the Esplanade Court, where the police secured their custody till June 3. Susairaj8217;s brother Richard was present on the court premises.
On May 27, after she had expressed her desire to confess, Susairaj had been taken into judicial custody and her confessional statement was recorded for two days in front of a magistrate.
The Crime Branch has moved an application before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate who recorded her confession, seeking a copy of her statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
8220;We have moved an application to get a copy of Susairaj8217;s confessional statement, and we are hoping to get it tomorrow,8221; said Joint Commissioner of Police Crime Rakesh Maria.
