Rape-accused Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja gets bail

Mumbai, Oct 1 (IANS) Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, behind the bars for more than three months after his maid accused him of rape, got bail Thursday. He reiterated his claim that he had consensual sex with the domestic help.

'I am not a saint, but also not a rapist,' Shiney's lawyer Shirish Gupte argued on his behalf in the Bombay High Court during the bail hearing.

While granting bail, Justice A.P. Deshpande imposed strict conditions on Shiney, ordering him to live in New Delhi till the trial begins in a fast track court.

He has also been ordered to deposit a bail amount of Rs.50,000, visit the nearest police station in the capital, deposit his passport with the police and refrain from influencing the case witnesses, Gupte said.

Gupte told mediapersons that evidence on the records suggests that the intercourse was with the full consent of the domestic help. 'Not only was he used to this, but she had a history of closeness to other men,' Gupte claimed.

He pointed out that medical reports did not show any injuries on Shiney's body, except for a small injury on his hand, which could be love bites or due to the girl holding his hand very hard.

If it was rape and the girl had resisted, there was no corroboration by way of injuries on her body or any damage to her clothes, nor were any body fluids detected, nor did she inflict any scratches or other injuries on the actor, Gupte said.

'This pattern of behaviour indicates that the girl was a willing party, and on the night before the alleged rape, she had called Shiney's landline number ten times from her mobile phone,' he said.

Twice earlier, lower courts in Mumbai had rejected Shiney's bail application.

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

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

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