Surat: A sessions court on May 28 adjourned to May 30 the anticipatory bail plea of Surendra Shetty, father of actress Shilpa Shetty, fearing arrest in a case of alleged extortion registered against him and his wife.

Surendra's bail plea came up for hearing before district and sessions judge K M Kin. Surendra did not appear before the court, but was represented by his lawyer V B Raju.

Acting on a complaint filed by police, the court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against Surendra Shetty and his wife Sunanda. However, public prosecutor Dinesh Gandhi assured the court that both would not be arrested until the court gives its ruling on the bail plea on May 30.

Earlier, Surendra had obtained provisional bail from a court in Mumbai, which ordered him to appear before a regular court in Surat to obtain anticipatory bail. His wife did not apply as she is abroad and yet to return.

According to police, Shilpa's parents, Surendra and Sunanda, had hired a gangster to recover from an industrialist Rs 80 lakhs dues of their daughter, who had modelled for a Prafulla sarees campaign some years back. Police claim to have tape recorded telephonic talks between a gangster and the victim Pankaj Agarwal as well as between Shilpa's parents and Agarwal, which reveal that extortion threat was indeed issued.

Surendra's counsel V B Raju denied that his client was involved in hiring the underworld to recover the money due to Shilpa. He refuted alleged telephonic talk between Shilpa's parents and the victim saying it was "manipulated".

Prosecutor Jatin Gandhi opposed the bail plea, saying there was prima facie evidence of involvement of Shilpa's parents in the alleged crime.

PTI