Preity Zinta has not alleged sexual molestation, says lawyer

According to media reports, Zinta’s lawyer Hitesh Jain, has said that though people are terming the incident as a case of molestation, in the FIR Preity has nowhere used the word molestation. Neither has she alleged sexual molestation or sexual assault on her. ‘The FIR points to conduct in public, the use of force and the offensive language by Ness which made her feel ashamed as a woman before the public at large,’ he said to explain the invocation of section 354 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with ‘assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty’, according to reports.

Meanwhile, police on Monday asked Bollywood actress Preity Zinta to appear before it latest by this weekend to record her ‘detailed’ statement in connection with the alleged molestation case she has filed against her former boyfriend and industrialist Ness Wadia.

‘We wrote a letter addressed to Preity Zinta and handed it over to her lawyer Hitesh Jain asking the actress to be present before us within three days or latest by this weekend,’ an IPS officer privy to the investigation said.

‘We have learnt that Zinta is not in India and hence, we gave the letter to her lawyer,’ he said.

The officer said Zinta’s detailed statement was required ‘at this juncture’ as several queries needed to be answered before proceeding further.

He said the investigators wanted to ask the actress about the exact place where the alleged incident took place and who were around.

At one point of time, the actress claimed, ‘I left for my seat, but he (Ness) came up to me at my seat and started screaming and abusing me in front of everyone.’ 

‘We want to know where she was sitting and who were these ‘everyone’ she was referring to,’ the officer said.

The police apparently want to record Zinta’s detailed statement as the CCTV footages obtained by them do not contain the alleged spat between the two.