Click to play videoMumbai: Business tycoon Atulya Mafatlal looked relieved as his wife and socialite Sheetal Mafatlal walked out of the Byculla jail after spending a night there for allegedly smuggling jewellery worth Rs 53 lakh.
Mafatlal was granted bail by a city court on Tuesday on a bond of Rs 5 lakh and a deposit of Rs 18 lakh as Customs duty. Sheetal also cannot leave the country without the court's permission and will also have to report to the custom's office every Monday and Thursday until the case is resolved.
However, Sheetal has maintained that the jewellery she was carrying was worth Rs 20,000 and her lawyers are crying foul about the delay in court proceedings.
“The poor lady was left at the mercy of Customs’ officials and prosecutors. She had to spend a night in jail unnecessarily,” Sheetal's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said.
A regular on Mumbai's Page 3 circuit, Sheetal’s arrest has been a talking point amongst the city's social circles. While many declined to comment on camera, some defended her while others toed the diplomatic line.
Playwright Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal said, “Penalise her if she has done something wrong but sending her to jail means there's definitely a hidden agenda.”
While designer Shaina NC said, “Sometimes people don’t realise how serious the law is. But having said that it could be a case of someone trying to frame her or it could be a sheer act of neglect.”
This is not the first time that a celebrity has been found evading duty, but while most of them have been let off after penalty, questions are being raised on why Sheetal had to be arrested.
(With inputs from Yogita Limaye and Shoaib Ahmed)
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