Sharma granted $2M bail

Apr 22, 2010 News

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– ordered to lodge passport and report twice weekly to police

By Latoya Giles

After a two-hour debate between the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack, and defence lawyers Nigel Hughes, Vic Puran and Mark Waldron, Magistrate Sueanna Lovell favoured arguments from the defence and granted $2M bail to carnal knowledge accused, Chandra Narine Sharma, yesterday.
As part of the bail agreement Sharma is to lodge his passport and he also has to report Mondays and Fridays to the Criminal Investigations Department.

After bail was granted Sharma was whisked away into a waiting police van and taken to the Georgetown Prison. Sharma’s lawyer, Vic Puran, questioned the police as to why he was being taken to the prison.
Puran said that as a lawyer practising for over 20 years, he has never seen someone being taken from the courtroom to the prison right after bail is granted.
Puran told reporters that the true motive behind the entire story was “political” and that they wanted to humiliate Mr. Sharma. Justice has nothing to do with it, he said. Puran said that the only reason his client’s photo is being brandished in the press is for propaganda purposes since elections are nearing.
He said that they initially did not want to raise the issue, but one cannot ignore the fact that every time elections are around the corner an allegation is made against Sharma.
Puran opined that the DPP was unhappy when bail was granted.
Late yesterday evening, Kaieteur News was informed by attorney at law Nigel Hughes that Sharma posted bail and that he was resting at home with relatives. Hughes also said that preliminary inquiry begins on Monday before Magistrate Lovell.
Puran said that the prosecution was opposing bail on the grounds of tampering with the witnesses.
He said that they argued that one witness is currently in protective care, adding that the state has the manpower to protect the witnesses.
Police officers had their work cut out to control the large crowd which gathered at the court yesterday in support of Sharma.
The police briefly placed barricades in front of the court preventing persons from entering.
They was loud singing and shouting as the protesters demanded that Sharma was framed. His wife, Savitri, yesterday told this newspaper that it is a very harrowing time for the family.
She said that she was solidly behind her husband since she knows that he is innocent of the crime.
“I doing what a good wife does, stand and support her husband” the woman said. Sharma’s wife said that neither she nor any of her relatives offered any amount of money to the aunt of the teenaged girl.
She said that persons are trying their best to tarnish the family’s reputation but they would not succeed in doing that.
When asked about the fact that some employees are claiming that Sharma is faking his medical spills, Narine said that their employees don’t have to be loyal to them.
On Tuesday last Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson, refused to grant bail to Sharma.
Sharma after being denied bail collapsed in the prisoners’ chute and had to be rushed back to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
An employee at CNS 6 said on condition of anonymity that Mr. Sharma is faking it.
The staff member said that Mr Sharma has refused to take his medication, that he has been spitting it out in the bathroom thus preventing control of his blood pressure.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack, who is prosecuting for the state, made an application for the matter to be held in camera (in private). Appearing on Sharma’s behalf are attorneys at law Nigel Hughes, Tanya Warren, Mark Waldron and Vic Puran.
The DPP had said that she  is very concerned over the prevalence of sexual abuse involving children.
She said that citizens need to be more vigilant and also the court system and society as a whole are supposed to protect “young children”.
The DPP was positive that the prosecution has a strong to enough case to get a conviction. “Based on the statements that I’ve seen, the prosecution has a strong case” said the DPP.
Like the DPP, Puran too was positive that they (the defence) have a strong case.
Almost a week ago, the girls aged five, nine, 18 and 21, as well as a cousin; aged 12 came forward with the allegation that Sharma sexually assaulted them.
The eldest sister is claiming that the father of her child is C.N. Sharma.
Sharma had previously been questioned at Eve Leary in relation to the allegations of rape leveled against him by a 13-year-old girl in a signed sworn affidavit.
This course of action by the police followed reports by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Child Care and Protection Department of multiple rapes committed on four underage sisters.

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