Vijay Raaz declared innocent in 2020 sexual harassment case
What's the story
Acclaimed actor Vijay Raaz has been acquitted of all charges in a sexual harassment case lodged against him in 2020.
The allegations were leveled by a female crew member on the sets of Vidya Balan-led Sherni.
The Gondia court in Maharashtra cleared Raaz's name on Thursday.
According to PTI, the court cited a lack of sufficient evidence from the prosecution as the primary reason for the acquittal.
Insufficient proof
'Evidence presented by the prosecution appears weak and insufficient'
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mahendra Sorte dropped all charges against Raaz under Sections 354-A (sexual harassment) and 354-D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court slammed the prosecution for failing to conduct a proper investigation. According to Hindustan Times, the court said, "The evidence presented by the prosecution appears weak and insufficient."
It was also observed that the CCTV footage seized didn't clearly show Raaz committing the alleged act, which led to his acquittal.
Career setback
Raaz's career impact and legal victory
Raaz's lawyer, Saveena Bedi Sachar, revealed the actor had to leave a film shoot midway over the allegations and later lost work.
"Now that the court has declared him innocent, this should be an eye-opener for those who treat every accused as guilty," she told TOI.
The case was filed in October 2020, alleging Raaz harassed the complainant at a hotel.
He was arrested in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, on November 4 but granted bail the same day.