Mumbai: A court here today granted bail to
Vikas Sachdev, a private firm executive arrested for
allegedly molesting teenage Bollywood actor Zaira Wasim
onboard a Delhi-Mumbai flight on December 9.
City civil and sessions court judge A D Deo granted bail
to Sachdev (39) on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.
The court also directed Sachdev, a resident of suburban
Kandivli, to visit the Sahar police station on the first
Sunday of every month and not influence any witness in the
case.
Opposing the bail, Assistant Public Prosecutor Munna
Inamdar said the relief should not be granted to Sachdev since
the offence is of serious nature.
Defence lawyer Harvinder Singh Anand said the complaint
lodged by the actor with police was an afterthought as she had
not raised the issue with the cabin crew of the flight.
He also argued that Sachdev was illegally detained by the
police before his arrest.
The court accepted the defence argument and granted bail
to Sachdev.
Sachdev is working as western regional manager with Sun
Broadcast in Mumbai.
Wasim had accused Sachdev of molesting her on board the
Mumbai-bound Vistara flight on December 9.
The incident was disclosed by the "Dangal" actor herself
who had posted a video narrating her ordeal on the flight.
Following an outrage, Sachdev was booked under section
354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage
her modesty) of IPC, and relevant sections of Protection of
Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) since the actor is a
minor and was arrested a day after the incident on December
10.
"He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his
foot up and down my back and neck," the actor had said in an
Instagram post soon after she alighted at the Mumbai airport.
PTI
