HC denies bail to folk dancer-turned sandalwood smugglers

Madras High Court today dismissed bail petitions of two former folk dancers, arrested on charges of sandalwood and red sanders smuggling.
Rejecting the petitions by Mohana, from whose house police seized Rs four crore cash last month, and her sister Nirmala, Justice P.Devadass said, they "are involved in many criminal activities and there is strong prima facie case against them. They have association with other criminals."
He also said they have the tendency to abscond and if let out on bail, there was every possibility of them interfering with the investigation and fleeing away from justice.
The prosecution case is that when a raid was conducted in the rented premises of Mohana in Vellore, more than Rs.Four crore of currency and various items of jewels and fixed deposit receipts were seized by police.

The two sisters who were absconding subsequently surrendered before a court. From their confessional statements, it came out that Mohana, Nirmala and her son Saravanan in association with one Babu and other accused were involved in smuggling of sandalwood, red sanders, extortion of money and lending money at exorbitant rate of interest and harassing debtors and money laundering, prosecution said.
Now the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence was also conducting Investigation as to violation of Income Tax Act and Money Laundering Act against the accused.