Mumbai: A court here on Wednesday granted bail to Vikas Sachdev, a private firm executive arrested for allegedly molesting teenage Bollywood actor Zaira Wasim onboard a Delhi-Mumbai flight on December 9.
City civil and sessions court judge A D Deo granted bail to Sachdev (39) on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.
The court also directed Sachdev, a resident of suburban Kandivli, to visit the Sahar police station on the first Sunday of every month, and not influence any witness in the case.
Opposing the bail, Assistant Public Prosecutor Munna Inamdar said the relief should not be granted to Sachdev since the offence is of serious nature.
Defence lawyer Harvinder Singh Anand said the complaint lodged by the actor with police was an afterthought as she had not raised the issue with the cabin crew of the flight.
He also argued that Sachdev was illegally detained by the police before his arrest.
The court accepted the defence argument and granted bail to Sachdev.
Sachdev is working as western regional manager with Sun Broadcast in Mumbai.
Wasim had accused Sachdev of molesting her onboard the Mumbai-bound Vistara flight on December 9.
The incident was disclosed by the 'Dangal' actor herself, who had posted a video narrating her ordeal on the flight.
Following an outrage, Sachdev was booked under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC, and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) since the actor is a minor, and was arrested a day after the incident on December 10.
"He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck," the actor had said in an Instagram post soon after she alighted at the Mumbai airport.
