Actor Vijay Raaz arrested on molestation charges, gets bail

Nagpur: Bollywood actor Vijay Raaz, who is also known for his Kauwa Biriyani scene in the movie ‘Run’, was arrested by Gondia’s Ramnagar police in eastern Maharashtra on Tuesday morning, on charges of allegedly molesting a colleague in the under-production film ‘Sherni’ in a hotel lobby and also on the set. He was released on bail by a local court the same day.

Raaz has been booked under section 354A and 354D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for which imprisonment can be up to three years along with a fine.

The offence had been registered late on Monday evening. The police did not disclose the place from where Raaz was arrested. SP Vishwa Pansare said action permissible under the law has been duly taken.

It’s learnt that the Vidya Balan-starrer ‘Sherni’ had resumed shooting at Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh after the pandemic break. The cast and crew of the film was staying at a hotel in Gondia, which is around 40km away from the shooting location.

Sources from Gondia police said Raaz’s colleague said she was targeted by the actor on a number of occasions between October 25 and 29. The woman is learnt to have narrated her plight to her family members, who shared it with an acquaintance, who is a senior officer in Mumbai.

DIG, Naxal range, Sandip Patil said the offence was registered immediately after the complaint was lodged. “We acted promptly due to the sensitivity of the case,” he said.


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