Shayan’s mother

Calcutta, May 14: Actor-model Shayan Munshi, the key witness in the Jessica Lal murder who was arrested and freed on bail yesterday, went to Delhi tonight, having had his honeymoon trip aborted.

As news of his arrest triggered calls from directors and producers in Mumbai, Shayan told The Telegraph: “I still can’t get over what happened yesterday.”

He was arrested at the Calcutta airport as he was about to take a flight to Bangkok with wife Peeya for their honeymoon because the computer at immigration flashed a look-out circular (LOC).

“In April, I had met senior officers of Delhi police and asked if it was fine for me to leave the country. They said there was no problem. Just that I had to be present whenever they wanted. Accordingly, I had planned (the trip),” Shayan said.

“Yesterday, for the first time, I came across this word LOC and later learnt that I had a look-out circular against me,” he said.

The police said there was no rule under which someone had to be informed he had a look-out circular against him.

“When the concerned person is available with a particular investigating agency that has been on the look-out for him, there is no need to issue the LOC. It is only when things are otherwise the agency issues a notice,” an officer said.

Yesterday’s ordeal has left the Jhankar Beats actor down with high fever.

“It is quite discomforting to know that a few in Bollywood are trying to evaluate me on the basis of my statement in connection with the Jessica Lal murder case. I don’t understand what people mean when they say I turned into a hostile witness. I will stick to whatever I have said before,” Shayan said.

He was at the celebrity haunt Tamarind Court when Jessica was shot.

“This is not the first time I have faced this. There were so many others at the same place and yet none came forward to admit anything. Probably because everyone knew how to move around in Delhi’s fashion circuit and wanted to make a 19-year-old a bakra.”