New Delhi: Bollywood actress Chrisann Pereira has walked free from a Sharjah jail in United Arab Emirates (UAE) almost after a month of ordeal. Her release came as a big moment of relief for her family as well as the model-actor who claims that she was hoodwinked by some drug traffickers & persuaded to visit the gulf nation on pretext of audition.
Mumbai based model-cum-actor Chrisann Pereira was arrested earlier this month by Sharjah authorities in connection with drug smuggling into the country. Drugs were reportedly found hidden in a trophy which she was carrying along with her.
The actress was arrested at the Sharjah airport on April 1 after the custom officials found some drugs concealed in a memento that she was carrying and was supposed to hand it over to someone in UAE.
The actress is likely to be back in India in another 48 hours, say reports.
Who is Chrisann Pereira?
The 27-year-old Chrisann Pereira is an actress and model based in Mumbai. She has been part of a couple of web series, plays & movies. Her most notable roles include Mahesh Bhatt-directed film ‘Sadak 2’ & Batla House. She has also starred in web series like Thinkistan and Murder in Agonda, where she acted along with Lillete Dubey.
Pereira is graduate in Mass Communication from HR College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai.
How drugs plot was hatched & foiled?
Chrisann Pereira was apprehended by the UAE airport authorities on charges of trafficking drugs into the Gulf nation. However, findings by Mumbai police established that she unknowingly became part of a drug smuggling racket and had no direct role in it.
She was approached & persuaded by two influential people named Anthony Paul & Ravi to visit UAE. They convinced her to visit Sharjah for an audition which will open windows of Hollywood for the aspiring actress. While she agreed with their plan, she was handed over a memento which was supposed to be used as prop during the audition, however, in reality, it contained drugs.
Following discovery of drugs in her possession, she was arrested by UAE authorities & put in jail. The UAE cops when co-ordinated with Mumbai police, that latter after probing the two persons, told its UAE counterpart that the actor was actually a victim & not an agent of drug trade. Mumbai crime branch interrogate these two men & foiled the whole plan to trade drugs.
Prior to her arrest, Pereira’s father had already got suspicious after she landed in Sharjah. There was no one to pick her when she landed in UAE, also no hotel room was booked in her name.