Shivangi Prakash-
Published on August 04, 2021 at 10:36 AM
Actress Gehana Vashist applied for an anticipatory bail in the pornographic film racket case, in which businessman Raj Kundra is also an accused.
However, Vashist was denied interim protection from arrest by Additional Sessions Judge Sonali Agarwal.
A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the accused, for allegedly violating Sections 292, 293, Indian Penal Code, and the Information Technology Act‘s Sections 66E, 67, 67A (transmission of sexually explicit material).
The FIR in which Vashist has been charged is the third FIR in the case. There are two other FIRs – one registered in 2020 by the Cyber Cell Unit of Mumbai Police and another registered in 2021 by the Crime Branch in which Kundra is also accused.
Vashist’s lawyer, Sunil Kumar, told the Court that the FIR was allegedly filed by the Mumbai Police after Vashist declined to appear before them in response to their summons.
Kumar argued that the police should explain whether they were summoning her as a witness or as an accused because there was a fear that if Vashist appeared before the police, she might be arrested.
Kumar informed the Court that Vashist’s custody was unnecessary because she had already been detained in the previous FIR, and the Court granted her release. He claimed that the police had all of the evidence they needed from Vashist, including her phone and laptop.
Kumar also expressed dissatisfaction with the way, police filed FIRs based on the statements of each victim in the case.
“If 100 victims come forward, then will there be 100 FIRs? New victims can make a statement in the previous FIR and investigation can continue,” he argued.
“The allegations in the present FIR are of serious nature that accused compelled other victims to do kiss and sex scenes. Considering such allegations and circumstances, I do not find this is a fit case to grant interim relief”, the order stated.
The case will further be heard on August 6. However, it refused to provide Vashist with any interim relief until then.
Also Read: Bombay High Court granted anticipatory bail to Sherlyn Chopra for Publishing Pornographic content