Actor Vijay Raaz acquitted in 2020 sexual harassment case

Bollywood actor Vijay Raaz has been acquitted in a 2020 sexual harassment case by a Maharashtra court, which found that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the allegations. The case was filed by a crew member during the shooting of the film ‘Sherni’.

The ruling came from Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mahendra Sorte, who dropped the charges filed under sections 354-A and 354-D of the Indian Penal Code. The court observed that the investigation did not establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Court documents reportedly indicated that the investigating officer had not visited the alleged location of the incident. Furthermore, although the complainant had mentioned the names of a few hotel staff as potential witnesses, their statements were not recorded during the investigation.

Following the verdict, Raaz’s legal counsel stated that the actor had suffered professionally over the years due to the ongoing case and had lost several work opportunities.

What was the case?

Actor Vijay Raaz was arrested on November 4, 2020, from Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. A female crew member from the film Sherni had accused him of molestation at a hotel. However, the actor was released on bail the same day.

According to the FIR, Vijay Raaz allegedly made a comment about the appearance of a female crew member on the film set and tried to place a mask on her face without her consent. Following this, the woman contacted her senior officials to file a complaint against the actor.

However, the woman who had filed the sexual harassment case against Vijay Raaz passed away before the trial could be completed.