Rajasthan High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against Shilpa Shetty Under SC/ST Act
Jaipur: In a significant relief to Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, the Rajasthan High Court on Thursday quashed a criminal case filed against her under the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case stemmed from a 2013 TV interview, where Shetty, alongside actor Salman Khan, allegedly used the word “Bhangi,” which led to a complaint from a member of the Valmiki community.
The complaint, filed by Ashok Panwar, claimed that Shetty’s remark had hurt the sentiments of the Valmiki community. The FIR was registered in December 2017, more than three years after the interview was aired. Shetty moved the High Court to seek the quashing of the case, arguing that the delayed filing of the FIR, coupled with the lack of any malicious intent or evidence, made the case legally untenable.
The court agreed with Shetty’s argument, noting that there was no indication in the FIR or evidence that the accused had any intent to insult or demean the Valmiki community. The court observed that the comments made during the interview were casual in nature and had been taken out of context. The High Court also clarified that under the SC/ST Act, the accused must have acted with a specific intent to humiliate or harm members of the community, which was not evident in this case.
As a result, the court quashed the case, granting relief to Shetty, who had been facing legal challenges for several years over the incident.
