Rape, arrest, bail!

The Madras High Court granted bail to Tamil film actor Mansoor Ali Khan. The artiste was convicted and sentenced by the principal sessions court for seven years' rigorous imprisonment in a rape case.

Following his petition, Justice Malai Subramanian granted bail on condition that he execute a bond for Rs 50,000 and two sureties for a like sum.

Principal sessions judge S Ashok Kumar had, on March 27, convicted and sentenced Khan under Section 376 (1) for rape and Section 417 (cheating), of the Indian Penal Code. He had also imposed a fine of Rs 3.25 lakh, of which Rs three lakh was to be paid to the victim Sneha Sharma and her child born through the actor.

The actor had placed a newspaper advertisement for the post of a woman secretary for his real estate business. He had summoned Sneha Sharma, the applicant, to a hotel in Vadapalani on December 8, 1996. He subsequently raped her after rendering her unconscious by drugging her drinks.

He later appointed Sharma as his secretary, and often had sexual intercourse with her under the pretext of marrying her. Khan then threatened to kill her, when she forced him to marry her after discovering she was pregnant.

Sneha then filed a complaint and a case was registered against the actor.

UNI