'Mazurier Pascal should defend himself in court'

“He is an accused for practical purposes. Whatever he wants to say, he should say it in a court of law. He cannot be making statements when he is out on bail…It is up to him to defend himself in the courtroom,” said Pramila Nesargi, lawyer of Suja Jones Mazurier, reacting to recent statements by Pascal Mazurier to the media. Mazurier, a French consulate employee, has been charged with raping his daughter in the preliminary chargesheet filed by the Bangalore police, following a complaint by his wife Suja Jones. [caption id=“attachment_521047” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mazurier, a French consulate employee, has been charged with raping his daughter in the preliminary chargesheet filed by the Bangalore police. PTI[/caption] Mazurier, who was granted bail by the Bangalore High Court after four months in judicial custody, told the media this week that he has written to Banglaroe Police Commissioner seeking a thorough probe into the rape of his daughter. Read report here. Investigations in the case are ongoing and the police are yet to file the final chargesheet. On the specific point raised by Mazurier in the letter to the police commissioner, his counsel S Mahesh told Firstpost, “He wants the police to find out who the culprit is. The DNA test results show that sample found on child does not belong to him.” If it was so clear cut, why would the police implicate Mazurier? “That is for the police to answer,” say Mahesh. The DNA test results have been known, as Mazurier himself points out, since July and is part of the chargesheet filed by the police, indicating there could be other evidence the police is relying on. Suja Jones’ counsel Nesargi, however, rejected the DNA tests results saying that they were conducted by “a person in charge of toxicology and he is not competent to give it.” Mazurier has been charged under Section 376 (Punishment for Rape) of the Indian Penal Code in the 150-page long charge-sheet that reportedly contains various medical reports, DNA tests, and witness statements.