In a high-profile case of molestation, actor Preity Zinta > has filed a complaint against her former boyfriend and co-owner of Punjab XI IPL team Ness Wadia. The actor, in her complaint, has alleged that Mr Wadia repeatedly stalked and abused her despite several requests for maintaining distance. He has rubbished the allegations.
Marine Drive police station told The Hindu that an FIR had been registered in the early hours of Saturday under sections 354, 504 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code.
According to a complaint submitted by Ms. Zinta to the police station, Mr. Wadia accosted her at Garware Pavillion of Wankhede stadium on May 30, during a match between Punjab XI and Chennai Super Kings. “She has said in her complaint that he kept following her on that night. She changed places to avoid contact, but finally he came and grabbed her by her hand. He then assaulted her and used filthy language against her in front of others,” an officer of Marine Drive police station said.
An official privy to the investigation told The Hindu on condition of anonymity, that Ms Zinta said she had written emails to Mr. Wadia to stop stalking and abusing her. “Even during the match at Garware stadium, she had told BCCI time and again that though Mr. Wadia and she were co-owners, they should not be seated together. After the incident, many people suggested to her that she should not take any action against him as the IPL matches were going on and the next match was due to be played in Bangalore,” the official said, while divulging the details of the complaint given by the actor.
“The intention of the complaint seems to be that she does not want Mr. Wadia to stalk or abuse her in future,” the official said.
The police will now record the statements of the witnesses mentioned in the complaint. They will also try to obtain the CCTV footage of the location on that particular date. “Further course of action will be taken only after proper investigation,” a police officer at Marine Drive police station said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wadia issued a statement to the press saying the allegations against him were “totally false and baseless.”
“I am shocked at the complaint,” he said.
The offences registered against Mr. Wadia are non-bailable in nature, police said.
*This article has been corrected for an editing error
