Shiney Ahuja innocent all along, say friends

After news of Shiney Ahuja’s domestic help backtracking from her accusation of rape were reported in the media, sources close to the actor claim that they knew all along he was innocent and was framed by vested interests.

“The girl is not backtracking. She is merely standing by what she had said earlier,” said a friend of Ahuja, referring to the 22-year-old woman’s recorded statement before the magistrate where she had used the word ‘atyachar’ (atrocity) instead of ‘balatkar’ (rape).

Sources added that the material presented before the court by Ahuja’s lawyers included CCTV footage of the actor’s building where the woman is seen leaving the premises unruffled.

“Shiney’s lawyers had also presented the girl’s phone records which indicate that she was talking to someone for more than half an hour between 3pm and 5pm, the duration of the alleged rape. Also, she had called Shiney 10 to 12 times on his landline the previous night, as also confirmed by the caller identification feature on the actor’s phone,” said a source close to the actor.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, who stood by the actor’s family throughout the trial, confirms that the above mentioned material
was presented before the court by Ahuja’s counsels. “As Shiney’s friend, I stand by my belief in his innocence and have full faith in the judiciary system,” Pandit said.

Meanwhile, senior high court advocate, Usha Purohit pointed out that in cases involving celebrities, there is always the element of
ulterior motive. “It is hard for a man to get away with rape in urban areas, since there is greater social support for the victim. But unfortunately, 20% of rape cases are nothing but false allegations by vested interests.”