Mumbai Police file chargesheet against Ness Wadia on the basis of Preity Zinta’s 2014 complaint
The industrialist had allegedly grabbed Zinta’s arm and molested her during an IPL cricket match at the Wankhede Stadium.
The Mumbai Police on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against industrialist Ness Wadia on the basis of a complaint that actor Preity Zinta had filed in 2014, accusing Wadia of molesting her, The Indian Express reported. The Esplanade court, where the chargesheet was filed, let Wadia go on a personal bond of Rs 20,000, the businessman’s counsel Abad Ponda said.
The alleged incident had occurred during an Indian Premier League cricket match at the Wankhede Stadium on May 30, 2014. Wadia, who owns the Kings XI Punjab team along with Zinta, had been abusing the team staff over distribution of tickets, the police said, quoting the actor’s complaint. He had allegedly grabbed Zinta’s arm and molested her when she asked him to calm down.
In her complaint filed at the Marine Lines police station, Zinta had submitted four photographs, showing “bruise-like” marks on her right arm, Mid-Day reported. Wadia, in his defence, had shared the names of nine people who he claimed were present at the stadium at the time of the alleged incident.
In August 2014, Gene Goodenough, an American national whom Zinta married in February 2016, e-mailed his statement to the police. “In his statement, Goodenough supported the claims made by his wife, stating that he had intervened when Wadia molested and abused Zinta,” an unidentified police official told The Indian Express. “He asked Wadia not to misbehave with a woman.”
Cricketer David Miller’s father Andrew Miller in his statement said that he was seated far away and though he had seen the estranged couple arguing, he did not see Wadia assault Zinta.