Bombay HC quashes Preity Zinta's molestation case

In a significant development, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday quashed a case of molestation filed by actress Preity Zinta against businessman Ness Wadia during an IPL match in 2014.

A division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati H Dangre, had asked both of them to consider "finishing off" the case and appear on Wednesday.

Accordingly, both Zinta and Wadia, along with their lawyers, appeared in the chamber of the judges. "The case has been quashed... we have been told not to divulge anything more," Wadia's counsel Aabad Ponda said.

The alleged incident had taken place at Wankhede Stadium on May 30, 2014, during an IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings. According to the complaint, Wadia was allegedly abusing the team staff over ticket distribution when Zinta asked him to calm down as their team was winning. He, however, abused and molested her by grabbing her arm.

On June 13 2014, she filed an FIR under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (using word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). In February 2018, the Mumbai police had filed a charge sheet in the case against Wadia, however, he had moved the high court seeking to quash the case.

Wadia is the managing director of Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation and was a co-owner of Kings XI Punjab. Zinta who once dated Wadia, is now married to American national, Gene Goodenough, who is senior vice president for Finance at NLine Energy, a US-based hydroelectric power company.