A key witness in the Rahul Mahajan drug abuse case, Karan Ahuja, recorded his statement before a city court on Wednesday relating to the incident.
The incident took place a fortnight ago at the official residence of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, when his close aide Vivek Moitra died.
During in camera proceedings, Ahuja's statement was recorded under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Core by Metropolitan Magistrate Jagdish Kumar.
The CrPC allows any judicial magistrate to record any statement or confession made in the course of an investigation, whether or not she has any jurisdiction in the case, provided such statement is made voluntarily.
While arguing against Rahul Mahajan's bail, the state had relied upon Ahuja's witness statement made before the police earlier.
According to the statement, Ahuja allegedly claimed that Sahil Zaroo - another member of the late-night party - had taken him (Ahuja) to meet 'an influential person'.
Ahuja, however, also stated that this 'person' later turned out to be Moitra, diluting the prosecution's arguments considerably.
The Special Court hearing the bail plea also pointed out that as per Ahuja's statement, it was Moitra who had met Sahil at the place of occurrence and had taken him inside the house and that no money was paid by Rahul Mahajan to Sahil for buying the contraband.
{{/usCountry}}The Special Court hearing the bail plea also pointed out that as per Ahuja's statement, it was Moitra who had met Sahil at the place of occurrence and had taken him inside the house and that no money was paid by Rahul Mahajan to Sahil for buying the contraband.
{{/usCountry}}In his statement made to the police, Ahuja had also said that Rahul had told Moitra even before consuming the alleged contraband that he felt like vomiting as he had had too much to drink and sniffed the contraband only after that.