The Supreme Court, on Thursday, granted temporary protection from arrest to Farhan Shahrukh Mirza, former husband of television and film actor Chahatt Khanna in her case accusing him of sexual and mental abuse, unnatural sex (under Section 377) and of forcing Khanna to terminate her pregnancy, Live Law reported.
The apex court also issued a notice in the Special Leave Petition filed by Mirza challenging Bombay High Court’s order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea. The notice is returnable on November 8, until which time Mirza’s arrest has been stayed.
Khanna, known for the Hindi daily soap Bade Achhe Lagte Hain among several others, married Mirza in February 2013 at Andheri, Mumbai.
The actor has accused her husband of marrying her with malafide or ill intentions and of deceiving her. She has further alleged that he had hidden the fact that he was an unemployed drug addict at the time. Khanna has also accused Mirza of forcing her to undergo medical termination of pregnancy in April 2013.
While filing for a divorce in 2018, Khanna also registered an FIR against Mirza under IPC Sections 376 (punishment for rape), 377 (unnatural sex offences), 316 (causing death of an unborn child by act amounting to culpable homicide), 498(A) (husband subjecting a woman to cruelty), 295 (injuring with the intent to insult religion), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 379 (theft), 420 (cheating, dishonesty), and 414 (disposing of stolen property) as well as Section 66 of the IT Act.
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In her complaint, Khanna accused Mirza of committing an unnatural sexual act against her under the influence of drugs and videographing the same, along with other intimate acts, using his mobile phone. The actor said Mirza threatened to circulate the videos publicly and threatened to kill her as well.
Khanna has also accused Mirza and his mother of torturing her and forcing her to part with property, including cash and ornaments worth Rs 66 lakhs, when she was living with Mirza.
While the High Court had rejected Mirza’s anticipatory bail plea earlier citing that the offences he is accused of are serious charges, it had noted that custodial interrogation of his mother was not necessary as the allegations against her are not very grave.