Obscene Video Circulation Case: HC Extends Interim Protection To Rakhi Sawant Till Feb 1

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday extended the interim protection from arrest granted to actor Rakhi Sawant till February 1 in connection with a case lodged against her by a model for allegedly circulating and displaying her obscene and objectionable video.
    
Sawant had moved the HC on Monday, seeking pre-arrest bail in the case. A single bench of Justice M S Karnik had directed the police not to take any coercive action against the actor till the next hearing.
    
On Tuesday, the lawyer representing the model sought time to file an intervention plea.
    
The court granted her time and adjourned the matter till next Wednesday. It also directed the police not to take any action against Sawant until then.
      
Sawant’s lawyer on Monday told the court that she had been cooperating with the police since an FIR was registered against her in November 2022.
        
Based on the model’s complaint, the suburban Amboli police had booked Sawant and her lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt on November 8, under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult), and 509 (insulting modesty of a 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. 
    
Sawant had earlier appeared in a season of the popular reality TV show 'Bigg Boss' and also featured in the movie 'Main Hoon Na' directed by Farah Khan.