Madhur Mittal, the Slumdog Millionaire actor who was booked for allegedly injuring and sexually assaulting his former girlfriend, was granted interim protection from arrest by a sessions court in Mumbai, Live Law reported. The interim protection will help him from not getting arrested till March 26, the report stated.
An FIR was filed against Mittal on February 23 at Mumbai’s Khar Police Station, accusing him of sexually assaulting and battering his former girlfriend on February 13 at her Mumbai residence. The report mentioned that the plea for interim protection from arrest stated that there was a 10-day delay in filing the FIR, which according to his lawyer is because the allegations were made only to “defame the actor”.
A report in India Today stated that according to the anticipatory bail application, the actor had proposed to his girlfriend in December 2020 in Goa. A week later, she met Mittal in Mumbai and stayed with his family for four days. The bail application stated that the girl was pressurising him to get an apartment, pay half of her rent and get a joint account in their name.
The bail application has mentioned that Mittal returned to Mumbai on February 13 after a shoot and was invited by the girl, Live Law wrote. After consummating their relationship, the couple got into a fight and he was asked to leave, the report stated. Ten days later, an FIR was filed against Mittal.
According to Live Law, prosecutor Meera Choudhry said Mittal continued to harass the complainant even after the break-up. The girl was hurt under the eye and lip and took treatment from Holy Family Hospital for her injuries on February 16, Choudhry said, according to the report.
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Mittal’s lawyer pleaded that the actor had work commitments and is a successful actor whereas the girl “is a model and struggling actor”, Live Law quoted the bail plea.
Additional Sessions Judge Sonali Aggarwal, after hearing the anticipatory bail plea, observed: “Considering the nature of the offence and the circumstances of the case, the police is directed not to take any coercive action against the accused till the next date,” Live Law noted.
The next hearing has been scheduled for March 26.