Soman, 7 others Acquitted in obscenity case

The Esplanade metropolitan magistrate’s court on Thursday acquitted model-actor Milind Soman, model Madhu Sapre and six others in an obscenity case registered against them in 1995.

The Esplanade metropolitan magistrate’s court on Thursday acquitted model-actor Milind Soman, model Madhu Sapre and six others in an obscenity case registered against them in 1995.

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In August 1995, the Social Service Branch had registered a case against Sapre and Soman for posing ‘nude’ for an advertisement of Tuff Shoes wearing only shoes and a python covering them.

The other accused in the case were the publishers and distributors of two magazines that printed the controversial advertisement, the advertisement agency and the photographers.

During the trial, the prosecution never produced the magazine, which featured the advertisement. “The prosecution never could produce the seized magazine and told the court that the magazine was untraceable,” said advocate Ashish Chavan, counsel for the magazine.

Even the panch witness, before whom the magazine was seized, turned hostile in court.

“Our arguments emphasised that the prosecution has not proved the case and the case doesn’t fall under the purview of obscenity,” said Chavan.