Mumbai socialite booked for poisoning husband

The FIR states, on March 25, Bhagat gave him a juice spiked with poison, which made him dizzy. He then started to sleep for long hours for the next few days

The Khar police have booked socialite Poonam Bhagat and a self-proclaimed godman for allegedly poisoning her industrialist husband, Jai Shroff, who heads the Rs 2,000-crore United Phosphorous Limited.

Representative Photo. (Shutterstock Image)

While the police are looking at the involvement of other accused in the case, Bhagat has alleged domestic violence in her anticipatory bail plea. Shroff, who filed a divorce petition in Bandra court in October 2015, has alleged his wife used to abuse and assault him.

The FIR states, on March 25, Bhagat gave him a juice spiked with poison, which made him dizzy. He then started to sleep for long hours for the next few days. Shroff then left Mumbai and started taking treatment for poisoning in a private hospital in another state, according to the FIR.

On April 4, Shroff approached the Khar police, who conducted a medical test on him at a hospital in Nagpada and sent the samples to the FSL to check traces of poison. The police booked Bhagat, the godman and others under section 328, 323, 504 and 34 of IPC amounting to poisoning, assault, intentional insult and common intention the same day.

During the investigation, it was learned that Bhagat met the godman through her mother Rajni. The police said Bhagat got the poisonous potion from the godman.

In her pre-arrest bail plea, Bhagat said in January 2005, within six months of their marriage, Shroff allegedly hit her, gave her a black eye and broke her tooth by stuffing a mobile phone in her mouth. In The application said Bhagat was assaulted again in December 2006 and Shroff had siphoned off money after he was appointed the director of Nirlon. Bhagat’s application stated incidents of domestic violence continued from 2009 to 2015.

The matter will come up for hearing on April 25, until which Bhagat will not be arrested.

(A wrong image was carried with this story earlier. This inadvertent error is deeply regretted.)