Obscene video circulation case: HC asks Mumbai police not to take any action against Rakhi Sawant till Tuesday

PTI, Jan 23, 2023, 4:49 PM IST

The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the city police to not take any action against actor Rakhi Sawant till Tuesday in connection with a case lodged against her by a model for allegedly circulating and displaying her obscene and objectionable video.

Sawant moved the HC seeking pre-arrest bail in the case.

Her lawyer on Monday told a single bench of Justice M S Karnik that Sawant had been cooperating with the police in its probe since the FIR was lodged in November 2022.

Justice Karnik posted the matter for hearing on Tuesday and directed the police to not take any action against her until then.

The bench was informed by the additional public prosecutor that Sawant had appeared before the police last week for questioning but before handing over her phone she deleted the said video.

The police would now also charge Sawant with the destruction of evidence, he said.

Justice Karnik asked Sawant’s lawyer to take instructions on this.

Based on the model’s complaint, the suburban Amboli police had booked Sawant and her lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt on November 8, 2022, under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult) and 509 (insulting modesty of woman by act, word or gesture) of the Indian Penal Code and section 67 (transmission of obscene content in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

Sawant approached the HC after a sessions court last week rejected her anticipatory bail application.