A sessions court in Mumbai on Wednesday released the businessman arrested in the charge of molesting actress Zaira Wasim on a New Delhi-Mumbai flight last week on bail by paying fine of Rs 25,000.The businessman of Mumbai name Vikas Sachdeva, 39 years old was arrested by Sahar police the day after the actress FIR filled on him and was charged under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and the Indian Penal Code.
The 17-year-old actress had complained, in a social media post, of the incident which happened on the Vistara Airlines flight on December 10, escalating to the nationwide furore.Zaira Wasim said she was travelling in business class when the male passenger behind her (Sachdeva) rubbed his foot along her neck and back while she was half asleep. She also claimed that though she informed the flight crew, they did not help her. However, the airline had later tendered an apology and ordered an enquiry into the incident.
She informed and broke down in a self-shot video which went viral on the internet after she posted on the Instagram, drawing widespread condemnation from all over India."I just landed, the whole wittiness of this that I shouted... and this is not done... this is not how you should be treated or made to feel. This is terrible. This is how they will take care of girls? No one will help us if we don't decide to help ourselves and that is the worst thing," she said.
The Maharashtra State Women's Commission, the Shiv Sena, the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade and others condemned the incident and demanded action against the accused, while the Civil Aviation Ministry has threatened to put Vikas Sachdeva on a no-fly list if he is convicted.Zaira Wasim made her debut in Bollywood with Aamir Khan's Dangal last year in which she played the younger version of Geeta Phogat. Her October release Secret Superstar achieved critical and commercial success.