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Dubai: Indian fashion designer Prasad
Bidappa has been jailed here for alleged possession of
marijuana, a drug banned in the United Arab Emirates,
Indian officials said yesterday.
Indian officials learnt of Bidappa's
arrest on Saturday but it was not known when the designer
was actually detained.
The designer's wife Judy, while speaking
to the Gulf News daily, admitted her husband occasionally
smoked marijuana but said he would "never carry marijuana
to Dubai".
Indian Consul General Yash Sinha said:
"The case is under trial and we have recommended
some lawyers for him. He (Bidappa) has informed us that
he is being treated very well.
"The consulate has provided him
consular access and will provide assistance that is possible
within the framework of the law," Sinha said.
Gulf News, quoting Bidappa's wife Judy,
yesterday said the designer was found carrying two grammes
of marijuana. She told the paper her husband had gone
to Dubai for business.
"I was in India when the incident
happened. I learnt about it from a friend in Dubai. I
spoke to Prasad. He told me that he is being treated well.
But my main concern is on the number of days he will be
detained by the police in Dubai," she said.
Judy admitted her husband occasionally
smoked marijuana.
Asked whether she was aware if Bidappa
smoked marijuana, she said: "Yes, once or twice a
week. My husband will never carry marijuana to Dubai.
It is not a deliberate act."
"It was a mistake. He is kicking
himself for not cleaning his bag," said Judy, who
is yet to contact the Indian mission here.
"If the need arises, I might come
down to Dubai. We will follow up the matter. Right now
my concern is also to protect my two teenaged children.
"The stress is too much and unbearable,"
said Judy. "We are law-abiding people and will accept
the law of the land."
A family friend of Prasad, who is in
Dubai to help the family, said: "I am sure it was
not a deliberate act on his part. It was just a mistake."
Indian actor Vijay Raaz was held at Abu
Dhabi airport earlier this year on drug charges but was
later let off.
Meanwhile, Indian fashion designers and
models yesterday said they were making efforts to secure
Bidappa's release.
Taking a cue from the release of Vijay
Raaz, designers Rohit Bal, Sumeet Varma and Ashish Soni
have started gathering details on how the actor was freed.
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