Preity Zinta’s molestation case against Ness Wadia cancelled by high court
In her statement to the police, Zinta had alleged that during the match, Wadia came up to her, grabbed her by the hand and started using abusive words in front of other spectators.
Actor Preity Zinta’s molestation case against industrialist Ness Wadia has been cancelled by the Bombay High Court, according to news agency ANI.
The 43-year-old actress had filed a police complaint in 2014 alleging that she was molested by the industrialist in Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium on May 30 when an IPL match was played between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings.
In her statement to the police, Zinta had alleged that during the match, Wadia came up to her, grabbed her by the hand and started using abusive words in front of other spectators.
Zinta and Wadia are co-owners of the IPL team Kings XI Punjab.
The actor and the industrialist ended a five-year relationship in 2011. In an interview to a film magazine, Zinta had once said, “I walked out of my relationship with Ness Wadia.”
Both Zinta and Wadia along with their lawyers appeared before a division bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharti Dangre on Wednesday.
The hearing lasted about 15 minutes wherein the lawyers of both Wadia and Zinta informed the bench that they had arrived at an amicable settlement and hence wanted the FIR to be quashed. Zinta also submitted an affidavit confirming her willingness.
At an earlier hearing, the two judges had suggested that Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia resolve the case. Justice More had then urged them to “just finish it off now”.
Wadia had approached the high court this year to get the police case cancelled after the police filed formal charges against him, petitioning that the complaint arose out of “personal vengeance” and the incident was a “misunderstanding”.
The charge sheet filed by the Mumbai police said there was no documentary evidence of the alleged incident nor was any object used by Wadia to hurt Zinta. The charge sheet further said that since then, Wadia had not threatened Zinta or other witnesses to coerce them into withdrawing the complaint.
“The case against Ness has been quashed. We have been told by the court not to divulge anything more,” Wadia’s lawyer Aabad Ponda said later, according to news agency PTI. Preity Zinta’s lawyers also refused to give any details.
Hindustan Times could not elicit any response from Ness Wadia over the phone or through text message.
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