HC directs Preity Zinta to reply to Ness Wadia’s plea
Special Correspondent
Industrialist has sought quashing of molestation charges
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The Hindu
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed actress Preity Zinta to file her reply in the plea filed by industrialist Ness Wadia to quash charges of molestation against him.

A Division Bench of Justices R.M. Savant and Revati Mohitedere was hearing a plea filed by Mr. Wadia on June 29, 2014 to quash the first information report filed against him. The FIR was filed under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), Section 504 (intentional insult), Section 506 (criminal intimidation) and Section 509 (using word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code at the Marine Drive police station.

Tiff at IPL match

On May 30 that year, during a match in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede stadium, Ms. Zinta said Mr. Wadia was upset with the staff over distribution of tickets, and she moved away from him. According to Ms. Zinta, Mr. Wadia grabbed her hand, and she submitted photographs of bruise-like marks on her right arm in support of her allegation. A fortnight after the complaint, Ms. Zinta took to Facebook and said the motive behind the FIR was neither money nor publicity.

Ms. Zinta and Mr. Wadia were in a relationship for five years and she alleged that he continued to harass her even after they separated. On February 21, 2018, he was granted bail on a personal surety of ₹20,000 by the chief metropolitan magistrate.

‘Burying the hatchet’

Advocate Abaad Ponda, appearing for the industrialist, told the court, “We want to bury the hatchet. The complainant is married and has moved on with her life.”

He said both of them now even sit at the same table during the IPL players’ auction. The court adjourned the matter to August 20.