Goa court grants anticipatory bail to Fabindia store manager

A Goa court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Chaitrali Sawant, manager of Fabindia's Goa store, where union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday found a CCTV camera suspiciously placed near the trial room.

Sawant has been missing since a local BJP MLA, on the instructions of Irani, filed a First Information Report blaming Fabindia for setting up the intrusive CCTV, which the complaint alleged has partially captured several women changing their clothes.

While granting Sawant anticipatory bail on a surety of Rs.10,000, the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mapusa town asked her to co-operate with the investigation being conducted by the Crime Branch.

She was asked to report to the Crime Branch on April 7-8 for questioning.

The Crime Branch was also directed not to arrest Sawant without prior permission from the court.

Four junior employees of the Fabindia store were arrested on Friday and released on bail the following day, even as Fabindia -- while denying any wrongdoing -- issued an apology to the minister.