HC calls Shifu Sunkriti case ‘shocking’, gives cops more time

Noting that the Mumbai police’s probe into the functioning of Shifu Sunkriti, an alleged sex and drugs racket, has thrown up “shocking details”, the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday granted the crime branch additional time for further investigation.

The crime branch submitted its probe report in a sealed envelope to a bench of justices Ranjit More and AM Badar.

The crime branch told the court while the prime accused, and alleged leader of the group, Sunil Kulkarni, was arrested, efforts were on to arrest Kulkarni’s co-accused.

The court said it was satisfied with the probe conducted so far.

Meanwhile, the two women from Malad, whose parents were the first to approach the HC, requested the court to allow them to intervene in the matter.

Justice More, however, directed them to first file an intervention application, saying the court will then decide on granting permission.

During the previous hearing, on April 19 , a bench of justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai directed the police to immediately register an FIR and make “serious efforts” to trace Kulkarni. A day later, the police arrested Kulkarni.

The petitioners claimed that the girls, who were regular college students and working professionals, were enticed by Kulkarni and forced into drugs. It claims that under the influence of such drugs, the girls left their respective homes to join Kulkarni and refused to come back.

Patil told the court some of the parents had first approached the police in December last year and then met with them on several occasions since then, but no action was taken.

During the previous hearing when the bench asked the police why it had failed to register the FIR, the state argued the girls were all above 18 years of age and they had given statements attesting that had joined Kulk arni out of their will.

The court, however, junked this argument saying the girls clearly were under the influ ence of drugs and had hence given such statements.

It also noted that the state could have sought a magis trate’s permission and ‘rescued the girls by sending them to a state-run rehabilitation facility or home.