Prithvi Shaw Selfie Row: Bombay High Court Issues Notice To Cricketer, Friend In Influencer Sapna Gill’s Plea For Quashing Of FIR

The Bombay High Court on Thursday issued notice to all 11 respondents including cricketer Prithvi Shaw in influencer Sapna Gill's plea seeking quashing of Shaw’s extortion FIR against her.

A division bench of Justice Sunil B Shukre and Justice MM Sathaye sought respondent’s reply in six weeks.

Gill is booked under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149, 384 (extortion) and 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion), 427 (Mischief causing damage), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC based on a complaint filed by Shaw’s friend, Ashish Yadav.

Advocate Ali Kashif Khan appearing for Gill argued that Shaw filed the complaint against her to safeguard himself from molestation charges. He further argued that no case is made out in the FIR against Gill under sections 384, 387 of the IPC.

Gill has impleaded Shaw, Yadav, four police officers, and owners of the Mansion Club at Sahara Star as respondents.

According to Yadav’s complaint, Shaw and Yadav were having dinner at Hotel Sahara Star’s cafe on February 15, when Gill and her friends came to Shaw for a selfie. While he initially obliged, he subsequently refused and an altercation ensued.

Yadav claimed that after dinner, they saw a man standing outside with a baseball bat and he hit the car's windshield with the bat.

It is further alleged that Gill followed Shaw in her car along with men on motorcycles and collided with his car in front of Oshiwara police station. Thereafter, Gill allegedly demanded money and threatened him with a false case. Yadav filed the complaint and an FIR was registered against Gill.

In the present petition, Gill has alleged that Shaw falsely implicated her. Shaw molested her in a public place, she alleged.

Gill has also filed a complaint before the magistrate with allegations of molestation and outraging modesty against Shaw.

Gill has claimed that her friend Shobit Thakur, a cricket fan, approached Shaw for a selfie and was met with hostility. According to Gill's plea, Shaw illegally took her friend's phone when asked for a video. She has alleged that Shaw and his friends were drunkenly assaulting Thakur and Shaw molested her when she tried to shield him. Shaw and his friend then chased her out of the bar with a baseball bat and fled the scene when the police arrived. This is why she was chasing Shaw’s car; Gill has claimed.

Therefore, she sought quashing of the FIR against her and directions to the police to investigate her case against Shaw.

She has also sought disciplinary proceedings against several police officers involved in the case for allegedly misusing their authority and working with Shaw to invoke unjustified criminal provision against her.

Case Title – Sapna Gill v. State of Maharashtra