Man charged with attempted abduction of boy in Dublin applies to High Court for bail

Accused was refused bail by Cloverhill District Court last week

Accused has instructed his legal team to commence a new application for bail at the High Court in Cloverhill. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A student charged with the attempted abduction of a young boy from a Dublin apartment building has lodged a fresh application for bail in the High Court.

Visak Rajesh Leela, 25, who is originally from India, was arrested following a party on September 14 after being allegedly seen walking out with the five-year-old "under his arm".

The defence said ultimately, a jury would decide if "it was extremely misguided, foolish horseplay by a drunk man or something more sinister". 

"We are absolutely adamant that it was the former", his solicitor, Michael Kelleher, had told Cloverhill District Court last Wednesday when his first bail application was denied.

Mr Leela, a postgraduate student who has lived in South Dublin for 10 months, was refused bail at that hearing but has instructed his legal team to commence a new application for bail in the High Court at Cloverhill. It was listed on Tuesday but did not proceed, and it has been put back for a week.

Earlier in the proceedings, Detective Sergeant Basil Grimes alleged the accused was at the building and interacted with the young boy and his older sister, aged 10, at the door. The defendant followed them in and emerged with the boy under his arm, and there was CCTV evidence.

The girl followed them, and they returned to the building, where the children went inside, but the accused left.

Mr Leela replied to the charge: "I was not taking the child anywhere. I'm not a person like that. I do not have any intention with a child. I do not have any bad or unwanted intentions with a child."

The court heard gardaí would recommend to the DPP that the case go to the circuit court, where the offence could have a maximum seven-year sentence.

Mr Kelleher had argued that recently, there had been a "lazy presumption" foreigners were flight risks. He had said his client was studying in Ireland, had no warrant history, and hoped to extend his visa so he could work here after his course.

The court heard he was intoxicated and unfit to be interviewed for several hours after his arrest. However, he handed over passwords for gardaí to access his devices to check them, and he was adamant there was "no sinister intent in all of this".

His district court proceedings, where the DPP's directions are awaited, resume on October 2.