Mumbai: Bail for choreographer Ganesh Acharya in sexual harassment case

Mumbai: Choreographer Ganesh Acharya on Thursday secured bail from a magistrate court in the city in a sexual harassment case, in which he was booked by the Oshiwara police station in 2020.

While he was not arrested, he had been summoned by the Andheri magistrate court along with other accused on Tuesday, the first date of hearing as per routine procedure. He appeared on Thursday responding to the summons and filed for bail through his advocate. Metropolitan Magistrate NV Bansal granted him a cash bail.

The complainant woman had approached the state women’s commission before Acharya was booked by the police. She had complained that Acharya compelled her to watch obscene videos and also passed lewd comments on her when she would visit his office for work purposes in 2009-10.

Further, the woman had stated that he would do the same with other women as well. She complained further that he had assaulted her with two women at an industry association’s event. He also used his clout in the industry to prevent her from getting work, she stated, if she did not entertain his sexual demands. Her membership of an industry association had been terminated after he became an office bearer of it, she had said.

Apart from Acharya, the two women involved in the assault had also been booked by the police. The trio had been booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354C (watching, capturing image of woman engaging in private act), 354D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).

Published on: Friday, June 24, 2022, 12:14 AM IST