Pravin to seek HC nod for psychiatric tests

Earlier, a magistrate has thrice rejected Pravin's plea to appoint a panel of doctors for undergoing psychiatric tests.

Pravin Mahajan, held on charges of murdering elder brother and BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan, might approach the sessions court or Bombay High Court seeking permission to undergo psychiatric tests, his lawyer Nandkumar Rajurkar said.

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Earlier, a magistrate has thrice rejected Pravin's plea to appoint a panel of doctors for undergoing psychiatric tests. The court did not assign any reason for rejecting it.

"As the magistrate, before whom Pravin was produced for remand, has not granted his plea for undergoing psychiatric examination, the only option before us is to move either sessions court or high court. After seeking instructions from my client we shall move the appropriate court for such relief," Rajurkar said.

Rajurkar said he had earlier urged the magistrate of the remand court to let Pravin undergo psychiatric tests as he wanted to show the accused was not in proper frame of mind when he shot his elder brother.

The court should know the state of mind of the accused and this should be done at the earliest, he said.

Pravin had earlier given a statement to police saying he had shot at his brother because he was being neglected and humiliated by him.

On the day of the incident, Pravin said his elder brother ignored his presence and asked him to approach Pramod's personal assistant to seek an appointment and this had provoked him to shoot the BJP leader.

Pravin continues to be in judicial custody till May 17 as the police await forensic reports to establish that he shot at his brother on April 22.