Mumbai: ‘Chrisann is hopeful she will be able to return home soon’

The arrested accused were remanded in the custody of Unit 10 of the Mumbai Crime Branch until May 2. Pics/Shadab Khan

The family of actress Chrisann Pereira, who has been imprisoned in Sharjah Central Jail after being used as a drug mule, has managed to inform her that the two individuals who conned her, have been arrested. "She is now feeling relaxed and hopeful that she will be able to return home soon," said her brother Kevin. The family said that they spoke to Chrisann on the phone with the assistance of their legal team in Sharjah. They are hopeful that she will be released soon, pending action by the Ministry of External Affairs through the Indian embassy, to approach the court. "We cannot describe the trauma my sister has gone through. For the first 17 days, we had no contact with her. Later, she borrowed money from inmates to contact us. She has no money to even buy soap for herself. But now she is happy that the culprits have been caught," Kevin added.

The family was also concerned that since news of the drug smuggling case emerged, people would assume that Chrisann was involved in drugs. "With the arrest of the accused by the crime branch, the true story will be revealed," Kevin said. The Killa court on Tuesday remanded the accused Anthony Paul and Rajesh Bubhate, alias Ravi, in the custody of Unit 10 of the Mumbai Crime Branch until May 2. The duo were arrested by the Crime Branch on Monday for allegedly deceiving Chrisann on the pretext of getting her a role in an international web series.

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The Crime Branch has told the court that the accused had used similar tactics to trap four more individuals, and one of them, identified as Clayton Rodricks, has also been in Sharjah Jail for the past few months. The city Crime Branch has told the court that they are investigating the drug angle in the case, to ascertain how the drug that was given to the victims in trophies and cakes, was procured. Officials also told the court that the accused used multiple SIM cards to trap all the victims, and they are trying to find how they were procured. After completing the primary investigation, the officials are going to send a dossier to the UAE to support the Pereira and Rodricks case before the Sharjah authorities, and ensure that the duo are sent back to India.

The Mumbai crime branch has also found that Paul had demanded money from Chrisann's mother Premila to help her get out of the jail. A crime branch officer said, "After Chrisann was caught at the Sharjah airport, Paul told her mother Premila that he had contacts in UAE with advocates, the police and judges and he would get her daughter released, but she would have to pay Rs 80 lakh to be given as bribes in UAE." Premila refused to give him the money and Paul approached Chrisann's father about the same but he also refused. "We are looking into every element that could be involved in this case, including how the drugs were obtained and whether there is any connection to a syndicate," said Lakhmi Gautam, joint commissioner, Crime.

Inputs from Shirish Vaktania