In a significant development, the Bombay High Court has allowed Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, who was convicted of raping his domestic help in 2011, to renew his passport for a period of ten years.
This decision was made by a single bench of Justice Amit Borkar, who acknowledged Ahuja’s compliance with the bail conditions set in 2011 after being sentenced to seven years in jail.
Ahuja, 48, had submitted an application to the High Court highlighting that his passport was currently being renewed for only one year at a time, causing him undue hardship.
Justice Borkar recognized that during the ongoing appeal for the suspension of Ahuja’s sentence, his passport had been renewed multiple times for shorter periods.
The High Court’s observation was clear, “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 bench further clarified that the passport authorities should not reject Ahuja’s request for a ten-year renewal based solely on the appeal’s pendency. The renewal should be granted, provided he meets the eligibility criteria for passport renewal.
Ahuja’s legal journey began in June 2009 when his domestic help accused him of rape at his Mumbai residence. He was taken into custody on June 14, 2009, and later convicted by a trial court in March 2011 for the offense punishable under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to rape. The court sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.
Following this conviction, Ahuja appealed to the High Court, seeking a suspension of his sentence and release on bail. In April 2011, the High Court granted him bail, initially with travel restrictions that were later eased, allowing him to travel overseas as needed.
The trial court’s decision had primarily relied on circumstantial evidence, despite the complainant turning hostile during the trial.
This recent development marks a significant step in Shiney Ahuja’s legal battle, allowing him a renewed passport for a decade while his appeal is pending before the High Court.