Radhe Maa gets 2 weeks reprieve

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted interim pre-arrest bail to controversial self-styled godwoman Sukhwindar Kaur alias Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa in an alleged dowry abetment case.

The relief came a day after the sessions court rejected a plea by Radhe Maa, as she is popularly known, for anticipatory bail to pre-empt possible arrest.

She moved the high court where Justice Mridula Bhatkar granted her temporary protection from arrest for two weeks, but ordered her to go to the police station on August 19 and 26 to cooperate with the ongoing probe into the case.

Following a complaint of dowry harassment and abetment lodged by a 32-year-old housewife, Mumbai Police booked Radhe Maa and six others while a Borivali magistrate ordered a probe into the

matter.

Arguing for Radhe Maa, her counsel Abad Ponda pointed out that all six accused in the case were granted protection except his client (Radhe Maa).

Ponda further said the allegation of instigating the family to extract more dowry from the woman complainant was an "after thought" since this accusation was not made in the proceedings before the family court two years ago.