News India Live, Digital Desk: Vijay raaz case: Actor Vijay Raj, famous for his roles in Stree ‘,’ Delhi Bailey ‘and other films, has been acquitted of allegations of sexual harassment and chase by a colleague on the set of the film’ Sherni ‘starring Vidya Balan.
The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Gondia acquitted actor Vijay Raj from all the allegations in the sexual harassment case filed against him in 2020 during the shooting of a film in Gondia and Balaghat. After completing the hearing, the court found him innocent and acquitted all the allegations against him.
In the judgment given by Judge Mahendra Keshao Sorate, the 51-year-old actor was freed from the allegations under Section 354-A (sexual harassment) and 354-D (chasing) of the Indian Penal Code, as there was a lack of evidence and the prosecution failed to establish a crime beyond doubt.
The case is dated 25–29 October 2020, when a female crew member accused the Raz of unwanted physical contact and inappropriate behavior, including unwanted physical contact and pornographic comments during the shooting of a film at Gondia’s Hotel Gateway and later at Jatashankar College in Balaghat.
His lawyer and famous celebrity lawyer Savina Bedi Sachar said that the actor shooting the ‘lioness’ near Nagpur not only had to leave the shooting of the film in the middle but also had to lose work after that. However, he has now been declared innocent and he hopes that the matter will be an example for those who convict every accused as soon as they are accused.
According to the FIR recorded on 3 November 2020, the actor allegedly tried to touch the complainant, corrected his mask without consent and commented on his physical texture. The woman later reported the incident to her superiors and lodged a complaint at Ramnagar police station.
The incident took place on November 4, 2020, when Raj was arrested on charges of molesting a crew member at a hotel in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, where the film Crew stalled. He was released on bail on the same day.
During the investigation, the police seized CCTV footage from the hotel and recorded statements of witnesses. However, the court said that:
The main witnesses did not see the incident directly. CCTV footage failed to decisively support the allegations.
The chief complainant was not available to testify, as he died before the case ended. The prosecution witnesses were retracted or could not confirm the content of the seizure procedures or documents.
As a result, the court concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the involvement of the accused in any sexual misconduct and declared the Raz innocent.
The court also ordered to cancel the bail, return the bail amount and destroy the footage seized after the appeal period. They have been directed to fill a bail bond of Rs 7,000 for six months under Section 437-A of CRPC so that their presence can be ensured if any appeal is filed.
Operation Sindoor: Bhuj Airbase reached Rajnath Singh after India-Pakistan ceasefire, will keep an eye on military preparations
