BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, wife sent to 5-day police custody in maid murder case

BSP MP Dhananjay Singh and his wife Jagriti, arrested in connection with the murder of their maid, were on Wednesday remanded in five days police custody by a Delhi court which observed the alleged offences were "very serious".

Dhananjay, BSP MP from Jaunpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and Jagriti, a dental surgeon at the RML hospital here, were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Dheeraj Mittal following their arrest yesterday in connection with the death of their 35-year-old maid Rakhi Bhadra, a resident of West Bengal.

"I have perused the records and considered the submissions made by the additional public prosecutor for the state and the counsel for the accused persons.

"The alleged offences are of very serious nature. The accused persons have been arrested yesterday, i.e on November 5. In my considered opinion for the recovery of the case property and in aid of the investigation, five days police custody remand is desirable. Accordingly both the accused are remanded to police custody till November 11," the magistrate said.

The police had sought seven days remand of both the accused, saying they have to recover weapons of the offence, including an iron press and video recording of the CCTV footage installed at their residence where the incident took place.

The police said that besides the deceased, there were two more domestic helps, including a 17-year-old boy, employed at their residence and they were also beaten up mercilessly by Jagriti, 29, and Dhananjay, 38, as well.

Additional public prosecutor Mukul Kumar told the court that one of the maids, Meena, was severely injured and she is presently undergoing treatment at a hospital here.

He said that the domestic helps were beaten up by wooden sticks, iron rods, iron press and even metallic deer horns by the accused.

The minor boy was also produced in the court and he showed to the judge the severe injuries inflicted on him.

Regarding Dhananjay, the police said he tried to destroy the video recording of 20 CCTV cameras installed in his house after the incident.

Senior advocate Hariharan, who appeared for Dhananjay, said that the MP had nothing to do with the alleged incident as he was not residing at the Chanakyapuri house here.

He also said that Dhananjay was in his constituency at Jaunpur and when he got information that the maid has died, he rushed to Delhi and himself informed the police about it.

The defence counsel also informed the court that Dhananjay had already filed a divorce case against Jagriti and the matter is pending before a court here.

Regarding CCTV footage, the counsel said Dhananjay had already handed over the recordings to the police.

The police, however, countered his submissions, saying the CCTV footage provided by Dhananjay was not working and they have to also ascertain as to from where the three domestic helps were employed.

Advocate Pankaj Kumar, who appeared for Jagriti, opposed the police plea seeking seven-day custodial interrogation contending that no recovery has to be effected from her.

The body of the maid Rakhi, bearing burn marks and injuries on the chest, stomach, arms and legs, was recovered from the MP's residence at South Avenue here in the evening of November 4 after Dhananjay informed the police.

Dhananjay, who already faces charges of murder, extortion and other offences under the Gangsters Act, was arrested for destruction of evidence, not informing police about the maid's death immediately and employing a juvenile as domestic help.

Jagriti has been arrested under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 344 (wrongful confinement) of Indian Penal code and Juvenile Justice Act.

The police said Rakhi, who had been working in the MP's house from past 10 months, had been burnt with hot iron and was beaten up badly and the injury marks were visible on arms, legs and chest.

The juvenile told the police that Jagriti had been regularly beating up the three domestic helps including Rakhi on petty issues. Rakhi was brutally beaten on Diwali night and she succumbed to her injuries the next morning, it said.

Jagriti had called Dhananjay and informed him about the maid's death, it said.

The police said the CCTV cameras were installed in the MP's house to keep tabs on servants' movements and Jagriti controlled cameras through her mobile phone and TV set.

This is the latest in a string of cases involving torture of domestic helps being reported from the city in the last few months.

A 13-year-old maid was rescued from Sarojini Nagar in south Delhi on October 29. The girl was allegedly frequently beaten up and kept locked in her room for days by her Manipuri employer who works as an airhostess.

A month before that, a teenage domestic help, allegedly tortured by her female employer, was freed from a posh Vasant Kunj house.