A session court in Mumbai has denied to halt the legal proceedings in Mumbai against the actress Pooja Bedi and seven other people for being accused of revealing the identity of the victim who registered the complaint against actor Karan Oberoi in 2019.According to reports, the alleged revelation took place at a press conference immediately after the arrest of Karan Oberoi.In its ruling, the court noted that there exists prima facie evidence suggesting accused’s participation in the crime, leading to the conclusion that there is no justification for dismissing the charges at this preliminary stage. The case pertains to a violation of Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code, which prohibits the revelation of a rape survivor’s identity.A legal action has been initiated by the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Andheri, Pooja Bedi, actor Sudhanshu Pandey, actor Anveshi Jain, advocate Dinesh Tiwari, Varkay Patani, Gurbani Oberoi, Sherrin Verghase, and Chaitanya Bhosle .The woman who accused Karan Oberoi of rape stated that soon after she reported the incident, a press conference was conducted at Pooja Bedi’s residence, where her identity was revealed. Following this, she went to the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Andheri and lodged a formal complaint against the group in June 2019.The Metropolitan Magistrate Court appointed the police to investigate the accusations made of the complainant and submit the report.The investigation disclosed, a press conference was held at Pooja Bedi’s house on May 5, 2019, where the members of teh group allegdedly revealed teh complainant’s identity, which included her name and many other sensitive personal information, an action that potentially infringed the legal safeguards provided to survivors of sexual assault.Furthermore, the police noted that the video of the press conference was widely shared across the social media platforms. According to these findings, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, decided to begin the proceedings against the group for allegedly revealing the identity of the sexual abuse survivor, which is a punishable offence under section 228 A of the Indian Penal Code.The complainant tried to challenge the Magistrate Court’s order in the sessions court, with the argument of not having any intention of sharing or mens rea (guilty mind) involved in the act.The accused alleged that not all the people mentioned in the complaint, have not named the victim’s identity nor have they shared any personal information during the press conference.To their response the complainant completely denied their claim, stating that the identity during the press conference has subjected her to social stigma and harassment.She mentioned that the act was executed with a shared intention, which resulted across the board circulation of her identity through Social Media Platforms, and numerous online articles, leading to her defamation.She also claimed that, due to it, people were able to find my address and contact directly which further caused her anguish and led to her privacy invasion.Karan Oberoi is an actor, and has been seen on screen for the past few years now. He is known for his role in a famous TV show Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, and a famous Indipop group A Band of the Boys.During the #MeToo movement, Oberoi was accused of extortion and rape, and got imprisoned.The accusations and ensuing legal actions have significantly affected his career, resulting in his retreat from the public eye. Although Oberoi has not made any public statements regarding the allegations, his noticeable absence from the entertainment industry underscores the profound effect of the claims and the subsequent legal struggles.
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