Radhe Maa, self-appointed godwoman, stepped out of the Kandivali police station in suburban Mumbai four-and-a-half hours after she had gone in for questioning in a dowry harassment case on Friday. Police sources said she was interrogated by five officers and asked 70 questions. She came out of the police station wearing big sunglasses and a trishul or trident in hand, her trademark red clothes, a sharp contrast to the sea of khaki around her.

While she was being questioned, the Bombay High Court granted Radhe Maa anticipatory bail which means she will not be arrested for the next two weeks. But for the next two weeks, every Wednesday, she must present herself at the police station between 11 am and 1 pm.

Radhe Maa claims she has lakhs of followers. When she arrived at the police station today in a white SUV, about 20 supporters and 40 cops were awaiting her arrival.

She rushed in and her supporters outside held hands, their lips moving in silent prayer. They wore red bands around their heads with Radhe Maa written on them. Some seemed close to tears.

Ruling on Radhe Maa’s anticipatory bail plea, the High Court said that the godwoman cannot be arrested for at least two weeks.

A Mumbai sessions court had yesterday denied the controversial godwoman anticipatory bail. Her lawyers had then moved the Bombay High Court seeking relief from arrest.

The High Court also ordered Radhe Maa to present herself before police every Wednesday.

The development came even as Sukhwinder Kaur alias Mamtamai Shri Radhe Guru Maa was being interrogated by the Mumbai Police at the Kandivali Police Station in connection with a dowry harassment case.

There was speculation that the godwoman could be arrested today if her answers prove to be unsatisfactory.

In her complaint last week, a 32-year-old woman had alleged that Radhe Maa had instigated her husband and in-laws to demand dowry from her.

The woman had alleged that Radhe Maa had instigated her in-laws, who have been the godwoman’s followers for the past several years.

Radhe Maa rubbished the dowry charges levelled against her and said she had nothing to do with the family dispute.

The controversial godwoman is also facing allegations of instigating several men to commit suicide.

Born as Sukhvinder Kaur, Radhe Maa hails from an affluent family of Gurdaspur and her father was a government servant in Punjab.

Educated upto senior secondary level, she dropped out of school and got married at the age of 18 to a businessman, Mohan Singh, of Hoshiarpur and the couple has three children.

NCP today demanded an inquiry by the anti-corruption bureau into the permissions granted to Palava housing project in neighbouring Thane, following the reports that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had withdrawn additional FSI worth Rs. 3,000 crore given to the venture.

Senior BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha’s firm is constructing this township project. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed that the company paid a very little premium to get additional Floor Space Index. “Fadnavis cancelled the approval for this project after the illegalities came to light…scrutiny papers of the project are missing. This should be investigated,” he said.

To the question whether the former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan (of Congress), who held the urban development portfolio during the relevant period, should be held accountable, Malik said only a probe will establish the truth. “We are not casting aspersions on anyone,” he said.

The NCP leader also demanded special audit of the Jalyukt Shivar (water conservation on the farms) Yojna, Fadnavis’s pet scheme, within fifteen days. He also criticised Fadnavis for hosting a dinner for corporate leaders and officials of consulates in Mumbai tonight, when the state was reeling under a drought, and accused that the Chief Minister was insensitive to the farmers’ plight.

The Shiv Sena on Friday accused the Congress of derailing the monsoon session of Parliament over the Lalit Modi issue and sought to tell party Vice President Rahul Gandhi that if issuing interpol ‘notices’ could have served the purpose, then many terrorists and criminals staying in Pakistan would have been brought to India long back.

The Sena’s comments comes a day after the Parliament’s monsoon session ended without passing keys Bills, as the Congress demanded former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi to be brought back to India and made to face the law for alleged financial irregularities. “By wasting the monsoon session of the Parliament for one Lalit Modi, the Congress has caused not only immense financial loss to the nation, but also security related issues that were were to be discussed. While the Parliament was getting affected here, Lalit Modi must have been enjoying the show sitting in London,” the Sena said in its editorial mouthpiece ‘Saamana.’

“The Indian government is playing paper games by issuing Blue corner notice at times and Red corner notice at other times. Lalit Modi has been accused of financial irregularities, while the British government has allowed him to safely reside there. Rahul Gandhi should remember if by issuing notices an accused could have been brought back to India, many terrorists and criminals staying in Pakistan would have been long brought back to India,” the Sena said.

Unfazed by the BJP offensive on his family in Parliament, Gandhi, who has been gunning for the tainted cricket czar had attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he lacked guts and challenged him to bring back Lalit Modi, who he described as the “biggest link” between the political system and black money.

The Sena further said that while Gandhi relates the ex-IPL commissioner and Indian Premier League to black money, he should keep in mind that the game started during the tenure of the Congress government.
“If somebody feels that Lalit Modi has made black money, then it is possible that those who are levelling allegations today may also be a part of that crime,” the Sena said.