Mumbai:
Actor Shiney Ahuja, convicted of rape, has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court.
Mr Ahuja was found guilty on March 30 by a Mumbai court of raping his domestic help in 2009. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Upon hearing the verdict, Mr Ahuja had broken down in court.
Mr Ahuja has appealed against the verdict in the Bombay High Court, which said that because the investigation into the charges against him has been completed, the actor does not need to stay in jail. He cannot leave the country. "I am so grateful to God," said Mr Ahuja's wife Anupam, "his innocence will be proved."
DNA tests submitted in court have established that Mr Ahuja raped the 18-year-old woman who worked for his wife and him at their Mumbai house. She later denied that he had raped her but the court hearing the case relied on medical tests to continue with the trial.
In the High Court today, Mr Ahuja's lawyers challenged the credibility of the government lab that conducted the crucial DNA tests.