Mumbai: The Mumbai Sessions Court on Wednesday found a 41-year-old Mumbai man guilty of molesting a former actress and minor on board a flight. He was slapped with a three-year jail sentence, officials said.
Zaira Wasim, a former Bollywood actress, had detailed her encounter on social media where she accused a man, a fellow passenger on a Delhi-Mumbai Air Vistara flight in December 2017, of molesting her.
In the video, Wasim said, "So, I was in a flight travelling from Delhi to Mumbai today and right behind me one middle-aged man who made my two-hour journey miserable. I tried to record it on phone to understand it better because the cabin lights were dimmed, I failed to get it."
"The lights were dimmed, so it was even worse. It continued for another five to ten minutes and then I was sure of it. He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck,", she added in the video post.
The video went viral sparking off a national outrage. Defending himself, Sachdev accused the victim actress of possibly "hallucinating" since he was asleep throughout the flight.
The actress who was a minor at the time later "dissociated" herself from Bollywood.
Special Judge A.D. Deo of the Dindoshi Sessions Court pronounced the convict, Vikas Sachdev, guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
In 2019, Wasim announced her decision to quit Bollywood, saying acting was taking her away from her faith. The decision also started off debates and criticism.
The actress, who had made her debut starring in uber-successful movie 'Dangal' at the age of 13, was accused of being 'ungrateful' while others stood up for Wasim saying she didn't need to justify any life decisions.
-Inputs from IANS
