Designer "friend" won’t talk about Sharma’s links

The senior Buddhiraj said: “Kunjum, 28, is a small-time fashion designer who was out looking for work a few years ago. She went to Sharma assuming that he would provide her with the all-important connections that a designer needs. But she was caught in a trap and was never able to get out of it”.

Kunjum is currently on bail, she was arrested and charged with possessing two passports. The investigating team question her everyday but have not yet succeeded in getting her to open up.

A joint-team raided Buddhiraj’s B-121 Sarvodaya Enclave house on the night of October 20, the same night that Sharma’s now infamous Mayfair residence was raided.

Says Buddhiraj’s mother: “Kunjum had gone to Sharma’s house on the day after Diwali to get back her car. She had gone to Sharma’s Mayfair house on Diwali and she left without taking her car. She was there when the police raided the house. Our house was also raided simultaneously”.

Income tax officials have seized Rs 4 lakh, fixed deposit receipts worth Rs 16.5 lakh and an unspecified amount of jewellery during the raid. Sharma had apparently bought the Sarvodaya Enclave house for Kunjum. The first floor of the house is registered in Kunjam’s name, while the ground floor belongs to Sharma.

Kunjum’s family are now going all the way to see that they are not in any way associated with Sharma. Kunjum’s mother said: “I never approved of my daughter’s friendship with Sharma. I am happy he is in police custody and hope he is never released. My lawyers say that Kunjum will be free from these hassles within three months and the police will also return the passports. I’ll take her to London then and we’ll never come back”.

A senior south district police officer said: “We have spent hours interrogating Kunjum. But she has remained tight-lipped about Sharma’s connections. From what she has told us, it seems she is one of Sharma’s victims who later connived with him when she found no way out”.