The Bombay High Court has rejected Rakhi Sawant’s anticipatory bail plea, relating to allegations by her estranged husband Adil Durrani about her unauthorized distribution of private videos.
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MUMBAI: Recently, The Bombay High Court has once again dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of the controversial celebrity Rakhi Sawant. This case stems from allegations made by her estranged husband, Adil Durrani, accusing Sawant of distributing private, sexually explicit videos of him across various media channels.
Rakhi Sawant, known for her flamboyant presence in the Indian entertainment industry, encountered legal challenges when her brief marriage to Adil Durrani ended amidst public disputes and allegations. Durrani’s claim that Sawant had shared personal videos of him without consent initiated a dispute that has traversed multiple courtrooms, including the sessions court, Supreme Court, and now returning to the Bombay High Court.
After Sawant, dissatisfied with the sessions court’s decision to reject her anticipatory bail, escalated the matter to the High Court. However, her initial plea was withdrawn in February 2024 following Justice Sarang Kotwal‘s indication of his reluctance to grant her the relief she sought.
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The Supreme Court, upon Sawant’s approach, stated-
“The petitioner’s counsel requests permission to withdraw the Special Leave Petition, with the liberty to pursue suitable recourse as per legal procedures. Permission to withdraw is granted, and consequently, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed with the aforementioned liberty.”
Sawant reapproached the High Court with her anticipatory bail plea. Justice Kotwal, upon reviewing the plea, remarked-
“The statements made before the court hold a certain sanctity.”
He highlighted the unconditional withdrawal of the anticipatory bail plea by Sawant’s lawyer, both at the High Court and later at the Supreme Court, as a pivotal factor in his decision. Justice Kotwal concluded,
“Considering these circumstances, it would not be appropriate for this court to entertain this application,”
thereby dismissing Sawant’s plea.
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Sawant faces charges under sections 500 (defamation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 67A (publishing sexually explicit material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act. The allegations suggest that Sawant not only displayed the explicit video on a TV show but also circulated it across WhatsApp groups and shared the links.
Case Title:
Rakhi Anant Sawant vs State of Maharashtra & Anr.