HC grants bail to Shiney Ahuja in rape case

Nearly a month after the trial court convicted him for raping his maid, Shiney Ahuja was granted bail by the Bombay High Court today.

While granting him bail, Justice A R Joshi asked Shiney to furnish a bail bond of Rs 50,000. The judge observed that his custody was not required for now as he had already been convicted but asked him not to leave the country without prior permission of the court.

Shiney was convicted by the sessions court here on March 30, and subsequently he filed an appeal in the High Court.

Seeking bail for his client, Shiney's lawyer, senior counsel Shirish Gupte, said the actor was convicted even when there was no allegation of rape against him. The victim had told the trial court that there was no intercourse or rape, and she had given a false statement to the police at the behest of one Rekha Mane, who allegedly had enmity with Shiney.

The trial court sentenced Shiney to seven years' rigorous imprisonment, relying on circumstantial evidence, though the complainant had turned hostile during the trial. The trial court said it had considered evidence such as positive DNA report, medical evidence of intercourse, and scratch marks on Shiney's hand.

In June 2009, the girl had lodged the complaint alleging that she was raped by the actor at his house. Shiney was arrested on June 14.