Mumbai, April 1 : Bollywood star Salman Khan is shocked over actor Shiney Ahuja being sentenced to 7 years of rigorous imprisonment in the maid rape case. Salman hopes Shiney will be proved innocent by the court.
"Seven years? Seven years is a lot! I have been locked up myself, so I know what happens", said Salman Khan.
"I hope hs is innocent and if any one is trying to frame him that person should come out in the open. Seven year jail term is too long, especially if some one has lied about it", said the star.
Shiney Ahuja was arrested on June 15, 2009 after medical tests on his maid confirmed secual assault. He was granted bail in October 2009 and was asked to stay away from Mumbai. Since then Shiney had been staying in Delhi NCR.
In September 2010, the maid retracted her statement and told the court that the rape never took place. She told the judge that she levelled the rape charge on being instigated by a woman who had introduced her to the actor.
In a 109-page chargesheet, Shiney was charged of rape, criminal intimidation and holding the maid hostage. In his defence, Shiney said he was being framed.
On Wednesday, a fast track court in Sewri relied on the original FIR filed by the maid to convict him although she had later backtracked and denied the rape during the trial. However, it acquitted the star of the charges of illegal confinement and criminal intimidation.
The Latest: Shiney will be shifted from Mumbai's Arthur Road jail to Thane central jail. Arthur Road jail has a capacity of 804 inmates, but it has over 2,000 inmates.
"Shiney was brought to the Arthur Road jail on Wednesday and has been kept in a special cell," said a jail official.
"He has not been kept in the general barrack. Those convicted in murder and rape cases are generally kept in isolated cells," he added "A decision on whether he should be transferred to the Thane jail or Pune's Yervada jail will be taken later," he added.
Sources said there is a shortage of personnel to escort inmates from one to jail to another as most of them have been assigned for bandobast duty ahead of the India-Lanka match.
"Due to the World Cup, most of the policemen have been diverted to beef up security in and around Wankhede stadiumTherefore, a decision on where Shiney should be shifted will be taken after April 2," said a senior jail officer.
Surender Kumar, IG (prisons) said, "We may send him to Thane prison. Only undertrials are lodged in Arthur Road jail."
