Bonds saw bullets but kept mum

The American women arrested in the bullet case had become aware of the ammunition in Darjeeling by chance but chose to proceed to the Bagdogra airport with the lethal luggage – a mistake that has sent them to jail for at least three days.

Monica Bond (57) and her daughter Heather K. Bond (37) – tourists from Santa Barbara in California – were today sent to judicial custody for three days. But they have been charged under the Indian Arms Act that carries imprisonment ranging from three to seven years.

The Bonds told investigators that they had stumbled on the clip of 11 bullets in their luggage in Darjeeling, where they had gone after coming through Bagdogra Airport last week. “The ammunition was inside a folded umbrella. In Darjeeling, they took out the umbrella when it rained one day and found the loaded clip,” a police officer said.

Had the Bonds told authorities of the discovery of bullets immediately, they would have been treated leniently. However, an officer added: “Since they did not have any documents for the bullets, we would have had to charge them any way.”

A factor that could still work in the Bonds’ favour is their reported clean record in the US. “The FBI has faxed some of the details of my clients, confirming that they do not have any criminal record in the US,” their lawyer Abhay Prasad Chatterjee said. “Their passports are valid and they have visas till August 4 this year.”

The two were detained yesterday at Bagdogra airport when the security staff of Deccan found the bullets in a 9mm pistol clip in one of their backpacks while scanning their registered baggage. Monica, a retired nurse, and Heather, an employee of California’s forest and fire protection department, were scheduled to board the Deccan’s Flight 619 to Delhi via Guwahati.

Darjeeling police chief Rahul Srivastava said the Bonds failed to produce any document that allows them to carry ammunition apart from an expired gun licence. The two said the bullets had been in the travel bag from an earlier trip in the US and were brought to India by mistake.

In California, Heather’s boyfriend Sean McGaughey last night told Santa Barbara Daily Sound, a local daily, that the bullets belonged to him and had probably found their way into the bag on one of the couple’s backpacking trips in the Santa Barbara backcountry, where they carry weapons.

Lawrence Bond, Monica’s husband, said the bullets went through security at four airports, including Los Angeles, before being detected. The Daily Sound quoted him saying: “The weird thing is they went through security at LA, Taipei and New Delhi at lease twice.”

The newspaper said McGaughey has already faxed his licence for the 9mm pistol to officials concerned. “I’ve been up ever since trying to pull strings and get some action. They’re so far away and that was my concern before they left, that if anything happened, how was I going to help them?” Lawrence was quoted as saying.

Today, at 12.20pm, the Bonds were produced in the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Siliguri. “We sought legal help and have a lawyer now. He is yet to tell us the charges against us,” Monica told reporters while walking to the court lock-up. “The police have also informed our embassy officials in India.”

“The bail plea forwarded by me was rejected,” lawyer Chatterjee said. “The court asked the police to place the case diary on April 18 and sent them to jail.” The women were taken to Siliguri Special Jail this evening.

Chatterjee said officials from the American Consulate in Calcutta and Santa Barbara have contacted him.