Iranian women, held for drunken driving, seek bail

Bangalore, Feb 19 (IANS) Two Iranian women students, arrested on charges of drunken driving and assaulting a policeman here late Wednesday, have appealed for bail. Their plea may be heard in two to three days, police said.

The women, identified by police as Azar Fazil, 28, a science student, and Fatima Mohammed, 26, a management student, are behind bars since Thursday for attacking a policeman who stopped them to check for drunken driving.

The two, studying in different private colleges in the city, are also said to have assaulted electronic media men who went to the Commercial Street police station in central Bangalore, late Wednesday to cover the incident.

Fazil and Fatima reportedly slapped and kicked traffic sub-inspector J. Ganesh Rao when he stopped their vehicle around midnight on Commercial Street, a popular shopping area and youth hangout.

"They have applied for bail and their plea will be heard in two to three days," a Commercial Street police station spokesman told IANS Friday.

Asked whether the police would pardon them as they face deportation if convicted of the charges, the spokesperson said it was no longer in their hands.

"Once the first information report is filed, we do not have power to withdraw it. It has to go through the regular process of investigation, evidence collection and trial. It will be for the courts to decide," he said.

The two women were sent to jail till March 4 by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rajiv Gowda.

The charges against the two include drunken driving, causing hurt and using force to prevent a public servant from carrying out his duty.

Fazil was driving the Maruti Alto car which has been seized. Police said the two did not show a driving license or car registration document. The alcometre test showed 59mg alcohol as against the permissible 30mg, police said.

Fazil is a final year Bachelor of Science (BSc) student at the Dayanand Sagar College and Fatima is in final year of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) course at the  National College.

The two colleges declined comment on the incident involving their students.