Additional chief judicial magistrate (Gondia) Mahendra Sorte on May 15 acquitted actor Vijay Raaz in a sexual harassment case filed by a colleague in 2020 as the “prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence against him”. The magistrate dropped the charges under IPC sections 354-A (sexual harassment) and 354-D (stalking) pressed against Vijay.
A crew member had alleged in 2020 that Vijay Raaz sexually harassed her during the shooting of Sherni between October 25 and 29. The actor was arrested on November 4, 2020 in Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), where the film crew was putting up. He was granted bail the same day.
The complainant stated that the incident took place in a hotel, but the investigation officer did not visit the spot. The judge also said, statements of the two or three hotel employees, named in the complaint, were not recorded.
The court said, “The investigating officer did not conduct any further investigation. Therefore, the evidence presented by the prosecution appears weak and insufficient. Even the seized CCTV footage does not clearly show the accused committing the alleged act.”
The court gave the benefit of doubt to the accused because “the prosecution has failed to conclusively prove the guilt of the accused”.
