Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja gets bail in rape case

Mumbai, Oct 1 (IANS) Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, behind the bars for more than three months after his maid accused him of rape, finally got bail Thursday.

The Bombay High Court granted bail to Shiney on a surety of Rs.50,000, his lawyer Shirish Gupte said.

'There is no clear evidence that Shiney had raped his maid,' he maintained.

The actor will be required to live in New Delhi and refrain from tampering with evidence in any manner, he said.

On at least two occasions, lower courts here had rejected his bail application.

On Thursday, the matter came up before Justice A.P. Deshpande who granted him bail with conditions, Gupte said.

Shiney has been accused of raping his teenaged domestic help at his Andheri home June 14 and has been in custody since then.

Following an assurance by Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Shiney's case was transferred from a sessions court to a fast-track court in Sewri where the trial is on.

'He will be required to live in New Delhi during the pendency of the trial and come to Mumbai every time there is a hearing,' Gupte told IANS.

If the charges against him are proved in the court, Shiney faces a minimum seven-year jail sentence.