‘Accused Pearl Puri is not eligible for bail at this stage’

Aspiring actor Jennifer Kirti Singh, speaking to The Daily Guardian on phone, has said that the trial court (Vasai sessions court) will not grant actor Pearl V. Puri bail as there is a lot of evidence against him. There are several WhatsApp messages exchanged between Pearl V. Puri and the victim’s mother, which lead to suspicion of her involvement and complications in the case or at least in “hushing up evidence”.

The cops are now examining all the WhatsApp messages. Pearl Puri and the minor victim’s mother were discussing the matter on WhatsApp even while the police investigation was underway. This is legally wrong and whatever be the case, the victim’s mother was not right in discussing case details with the main accused, Jennifer said.

According to news reports, the actor’s lawyers have moved the local sessions court at Vasai for bail. “There is a lot of evidence against him. Under the POSCO Act, a minor victim’s statement is admissible as evidence and the police have been careful enough to record the minor victim’s statement before a magistrate under Section 164 CrPC. Now, Pearl’s goose is cooked because the statement recorded under Sec 164 CrPC cannot be normally retracted or altered,” said senior journalist and publicist Flynn Remedios, who is handling media and legal affairs for various Bollywood and TV celebrities, including Gehana Vasisth who has been in judicial custody for the last four months without bail.

Remedios said that at this stage, only the Bombay High Court can grant Puri bail, if ever. The lower courts will not interfere in the matter, unless the chargesheet is filed, unless, of course, there are glaring loopholes in the police investigation. 

Further, the courts were on vacation and have only resumed functioning from Monday. A vacation judge will not take up the matter and would pass it on to the regular court. This means that Puri will not get a proper hearing in the Vasai Sessions (POSCO) court till 15 June at least.

The Naagin actor Pearl Puri was arrested under the stringent and non-bailable sections of the POSCO Act, but was granted judicial custody as the case was old. The actor’s lawyers immediately moved the court for bail. The actor is accused of molesting and raping his co-star’s minor daughter in his vanity van. On Monday, the actor’s bail hearing, which was supposed to be held by the Vasai Court, was adjourned.

Pearl’s bail hearing will now be held on 12 June by Vasai court.