Mexican national Martin Manrique Mansour, who is currently lodged in the Central Prison at Puzhal, withdrew his bail application at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court after Justice A Selvam pointed out that the application could not be considered at this point of time.
Martin (40) was arrested on April 17 after he reportedly killed his ex live-in partner Cecile Denise Acosta (36) over a dispute pertaining to the custody of their six-year-old daughter Adela Berenice Manrique Acosta.
In his bail application filed at the court in May this year, Martin pleaded innocence and denied his involvement in the murder. “It is purely a case of false allegation foisted taking advantage of the fact that the petitioner is a foreign national and to defame his respectable position in his workplace (Kalasalingam University where Martin was pursuing post doctoral fellowship in Maths) and the society”, said Martin’s counsel.
It was further alleged that Martin and his neighbours Karam (an Iranian) and Vijayakumar were taken to a police station (place not mentioned) on April 16, 2012, where they were interrogated by means of physical assault.
The bail plea of Martin also said that a confession statement was obtained from him on April 17 at Thirunagar police station.A copy of the confession statement was produced in the court on Monday, which according to the police was obtained without any physical harassment. In his confession statement, Martin said in a fit of anger he stabbed Cecile Denise Acosta on April 9, 2012, after she wanted to break the agreement they had entered into at a Mexican court regarding the custody of their daughter in May 2011. The details also included the way Martin managed to dispose the corpse of Cecile.
“I was returning to Krishnankovil (from Madurai after meeting a broker to sell his car) when the police stopped my vehicle at Tiruparankundram Poonga stop around 10 am (on April 17) and conducted an inquiry, where I admitted everything that happened and I was arrested for murdering Cecila”, Martin told the police at the time of confession.
Justice A Selvam, on reading the confession and the FIR, said the bail plea could not be considered at this stage when the investigation was on. Therefore, Martin’s counsel withdrew the plea on Monday.