Sascha Wil­son

A pun­dit who al­leged­ly as­sault­ed a fe­male em­ploy­ee of Fran­cis Fash­ions Shoe Lock­er, San Fer­nan­do, has been placed on his own bail in the sum of $10,000. Pun­dit De­o­dath Bal­li­ram, 40, was grant­ed bail by a Jus­tice of the Peace at the San Fer­nan­do Po­lice Sta­tion on Thurs­day night. Yes­ter­day, he plead­ed not guilty to charges of as­sault and re­sist­ing ar­rest when he ap­peared be­fore San Fer­nan­do First Court Mag­is­trate In­dra Ramoo-Haynes.

It is al­leged that Bal­li­ram, of Iere Vil­lage, Princes Town, as­sault­ed the sales clerk dur­ing an ar­gu­ment over a shop­ping dis­count card at the Low­er High Street branch on Thurs­day. Bal­li­ram, who has been a pun­dit for 19 years, is al­so al­leged to have re­sist­ed PC Daniel Ger­ad in the ex­e­cu­tion of his du­ties.

The court heard that the vic­tim was not hos­pi­talised and did not suf­fer se­ri­ous in­juries. She was not in court. At­tor­ney Michelle Ram­paul, who held for at­tor­ney An­nusha Pan­day, said Bal­li­ram was not a flight risk. Ramoo-Haynes did not vary the bail and ad­journed the mat­ter Feb­ru­ary 3.