In a significant legal setback, actor and television personality Rakhi Sawant has been denied anticipatory bail by the Supreme Court in a case involving the alleged sharing of explicit videos on social media. The case was filed by her ex-husband, Adil Khan Durrani, who accused Sawant of disseminating an obscene video that purportedly involves him.
Previously, Rakhi Sawant’s petition for anticipatory bail was rejected by the Bombay High Court, prompting her to approach the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court’s decision, giving Sawant four weeks to surrender to the lower court.
The charges against Sawant include defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, criminal conspiracy under Section 34, and publishing explicit sexual material under Section 67A of the Information Technology Act. The FIR alleges that Sawant aired the explicit video during a TV talk show and further disseminated it through WhatsApp groups and shared links to the show.
In her defense, Rakhi’s lawyer argued that the actress suffers from multiple health issues that might require surgery, claiming her detention for interrogation was unnecessary. Additionally, Sawant argued that the video was five years old and of poor quality, making it difficult to discern its content.
The prosecutor countered these arguments by emphasizing the necessity of custodial interrogation. Sawant, who identifies as a celebrity, had refused to surrender her phone, complicating the investigation.
Currently abroad, Rakhi Sawant has not yet commented on the Supreme Court’s decision. It remains uncertain whether she will return to India in time to comply with the court’s order to cooperate with the investigation.
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The fallout from Rakhi’s relationship with Adil Khan Durrani has been both public and acrimonious, marked by serious mutual accusations. The former couple had a secretive marriage, which ended on a sour note. Since their separation, Adil has remarried actress Somi Khan, and both are reportedly happy in their new life.
