Mumbai: Bombay HC allows rape case convict Shiney Ahuja to get passport renewed for 10 years

THE TIMES OF INDIA (August 9, 2023)

Mumbai: Observing that actor Shiney Ahuja is unlikely to pose a flight risk, and has not violated his bail conditions during pendency of his appeal against his rape conviction, Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state and passport authorities to renew his passport for ten years, and to not reject such plea on grounds of pendency of the appeal, provided he is otherwise eligible for its renewal.
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MID-DAY (August 9, 2023)

On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court permitted Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, who is convicted in 2011 for raping his domestic help and is currently out on bail, to get his passport renewed for a period of ten years.

A single bench of Justice Amit Borkar noted that Shiney Ahuja, who was sentenced to seven years in jail by a court, has been complying with the conditions imposed on him while he was granted bail in 2011.

Ahuja had filed an application in the Bombay HC stating that at present his passport was being renewed by authorities only for a period of one year which was causing hardships.

Justice Borkar noted that during the pendency of the appeal for suspension of the sentence, the key travel document of Ahuja was renewed on more than six occasions. "There is no violation of bail conditions. The applicant has made out a case for direction to the passport authority to renew the applicant's passport for ten years," the HC observed.

In June 2009, Shiney Ahuja's domestic help had lodged a complaint alleging she was raped by him at his house in Mumbai.

Shiney Ahuja was arrested on June 14, 2009 and was convicted by a trial court in March 2011 for the offence punishable under section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code and directed to undergo rigorous imprisonment for seven years.

He had then filed an appeal in the HC and sought suspension of the sentence and to be released on bail. The HC granted him bail in April 2011.

While initially the HC said Ahuja had to seek court's permission to travel abroad, the condition was later relaxed and he was allowed to go overseas as and when required.