Actor Vijay Raaz acquitted in sexual harassment case from set of Vidya Balan's Sherni

Bollywood actor Vijay Raaz was acquitted by a Maharashtra court on Thursday in a sexual harassment case filed by a colleague in 2020, holding that the “prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence against him”.

A crew member had alleged that the 61-year-old actor, who has worked in over 90 movies now, including Dhamaal, Stree, Delhi Belly and others, sexually harassed her during the shoot of Vidya Balan's movie ‘Sherni’ about five years ago.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Gondia) Mahendra Sorte dropped the charges under IPC sections 354-A (sexual Harassment) and 354-D (stalking) pressed against the actor.

What did the court say?

The judge said the complainant mentioned the names of two to three persons working at the hotel, but their statements were not recorded.

“The investigating officer did not conduct any further investigation. Therefore, the evidence presented by the prosecution appears weak and insufficient,” the court said.

“Even the seized CCTV footage does not clearly show the accused committing the alleged act,” it added.

The prosecution has “failed to conclusively prove the guilt of the accused,” so the benefit of the doubt goes to the accused, the court held.

The court said the oral evidence presented by the prosecution was not sufficient to convict the accused. Hence, the court said, he is acquitted.

The court cancelled the actor's bail bond and ordered the return of his surety amount. It also directed the destruction of the seized footage after the appeal period.

Vijay Razz has been directed to furnish a surety bond of ₹7,000 for six months under Section 437-A (Bail to require accused to appear before next Appellate Court) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Crpc) to ensure presence if any appeal is filed.

The investigation:

During the investigation, police seized CCTV footage from the hotel and recorded statements of witnesses. However, the court noted that:

• Key witnesses did not directly witness the incident.
• CCTV footage failed to conclusively support the allegations.
• The main complainant was unavailable to testify, as she had died before the trial concluded.
• Prosecution witnesses turned hostile or could not confirm the seizure procedures or the content of documents.

As a result, the court concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the accused's involvement in any sexual misconduct and declared Razz not guilty.

What were the charges against Vijay Raaz?

According to the complaint filed at the Ramnagar police station in Gondia, the alleged offence was committed between the night of 25 October 2020 and the morning of 29 October 2020.

On 4 November 2020, Raaz was arrested in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, where the film crew was staying. He was released on bail the same day.

The complainant stated that the incident took place in a hotel, but the investigating officer did not visit the spot, the order said.

Vijay Raaz welcomes the court's order

The actor’s lawyer, Saveena Bedi Sachar, said that Raaz, who was shooting near Nagpur for Sherni, had to not only leave the film shoot midway but also lost work thereafter.

The advocate added that since he has now been declared innocent, this case should serve as an example for people who declare every accused guilty as soon as allegations are levied against them.

(With agency inputs)