Accused threw two mobile phones, 4 SIMs used in crime into Mithi river: Police

Chargesheet stated that trio of Paul, a Malad-based baker, and his associates, framed Pereira by planting drugs and handed them over while leaving for Sharjah.

MUMBAI: The main accused in the actress Chrisann Pereira framing case, Anthony Paul, destroyed two mobile phones and four SIM cards, which he allegedly used in the crime, and threw them into Mithi river at Dahisar, the Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed in the chargesheet filed in the case on Wednesday.

Mumbai, India - April 24, 2023: The crime branch on Monday arrested a Borivali resident Anthony Paul and detained his associate Rajesh Babhote alias Ravi for allegedly framing a 27-year-old actor Chrisann Pereira (in pic) into becoming a drug mule. The actor worked in some of the noted films like Sadak-2 and Batla House. Chrisann was given the trophy before boarding the flight. (HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

The chargesheet stated that the trio of Paul, a Malad-based baker, and his associates, Rajesh Bobhate alias Ravi, and Shantilal Rajput, framed Pereira and four others by planting drugs in trophy and cakes and handed over to them while leaving for Sharjah.

The Sadak-2 actress was arrested on April 1 after she landed at Sharjah airport as Paul had tipped-off the authorities there that she was part of an international drug syndicate.

The police have also attached audio recordings of mobile conversations between the victim’s family members and the accused baker wherein he has been demanding money to get Periera released.

In all, 20 witnesses are cited in the case including a few family members of the victim. There is other evidence like the CCTV footage from Mumbai airport showing the accused handing over the trophy, in which drugs were hidden, to Pereira, who was about to take a flight to Sharjah.

Paul brought drugs from Rajput claiming that he required it as one of his relatives was suffering from jaundice. The accused brought 500 grams of ganja for ₹6,000 from Rajput in December 2022, police have claimed in the 1,514 page-long chargesheet filed at the Esplanade metropolitan magistrate court.

Police said the other two accused have claimed that Paul did not inform them about his plan. He purportedly roped in Bobhate telling him that he will get a commission as he was sending people for jobs in Dubai. Paul had said that as they knew him, he could not demand money, but Bhobhate could do so.

“The police have dropped section 120B of conspiracy in the case as the second accused did not know the victims. However, we have added section 419 (personation with the aim of cheating) as the accused number two Rajesh (Bobhate) used a fake name,” said the police chargesheet.

As per the chargesheet, Paul, with the help of Bobhate, tried to frame five people on whom he wanted to take revenge. During the investigation, the police also found that Paul was in heavy debt and required money to clear the same.

Police have also recorded the statement of the person who made the trophy and sold it to Paul. The chargesheet also includes statements of relatives of the victims, statements of various people like the travel agent from whom Paul had purchased tickets.

It added that Paul even made duplicate return flight tickets and handed them to the victims so that they could not return. The police have recorded statements of the shopkeeper where Paul took a printout of the fake ticket.

The police said Paul purchased the trophies, which were used to hide drugs, from a shop in Charkop, Kandivali, telling him that he owned a shop and wanted to buy 40 trophies. However, he wanted two trophies as a sample. He then hid poppy seeds as well as ganja in the trophy.

Pareira was released from the prison on April 26, but her passport is still with the Sharjah authority. After completing certain legal formalities, she was acquitted in the case and will be returning to India very soon, said a police officer.