Unhappy with probe, Juhi’s father to move Bombay HC

Father says crime branch probe 'tardy and lopsided'; says cops not looking at Nimesh as co-accused

Calling the Pune Police Crime Branch investigations into the Juhi Prasad murder case as "tardy and lopsided", Juhi's father is set to move the Bombay High Court.

AN Prasad, a Patna-based advocate, alleged that the crime branch was "trying to protect his daughter's boyfriend Nimesh Sinha and had not named him in the FIR despite a trial court order to thoroughly investigate Sinha's role".

Juhi (26), Sinha's fiancee, was found with over 90 per cent burns at the Pune residence of Sinha on October 13 morning and died 10 days later. Anushree Kundra, a Bangalore girl and a former girlfriend of Sinha, is alleged to have reached the house and set her on fire. Sinha, who suffered minor burns, was named the prime witness. Kundra had been on the run after the incident and surrendered a month after the incident.

Prasad told The Indian Express: "It is intriguing why Pune police has not been assessing call details of Nimesh Sinha. It is Kundra who has been made the accused. The incident took place at Nimesh's house and I strongly believe his complicity in the murder..." Prasad said the trial court, in its March 23, 2012 order had asked police to investigate the role of Sinha and submit a report by April 16. "The police submitted the report two months later. I am not at all convinced with the police reply. The trial court, in its subsequent order, instructed me to take up the matter during trial. The investigation so far has been tardy and lopsoded," said Prasad, who has been shuttling between Pune and Mumbai since the incident.

Prasad said the Pune Crime Branch was dwelling too much on Sinha "being a witness rather than a co-accused". "At the FIR stage, I was too crestfallen to think of Nimesh's having any role. I learnt several things only after reaching the scene of the incident. My daughter had not given a clean chit to Nimesh in her dying declaration," said Prasad.

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