Bombay High Court has granted Interim protection to actor Sahil Khan after hearing his anticipatory bail plea today (September 28). An FIR was registered against Sahil by bodybuilder Manoj Patil for harassing and defaming him.

Manoj Patil, a former Mr India contest winner, registered a case against Sahil Khan on September 20. According to the case, Sahil defamed and provoked Manoj Patil on social media in 2020-2021, keeping a past grudge in his mind. Manoj was mentally harassed due to which, on September 15, at around 11 pm, he tried to commit suicide by consuming some pills. However, Manoj was rushed to the hospital and is out of danger. Later, he registered an FIR against Sahil Khan on September 20.

The FIR was registered against Sahil under Section 306 (abetment to suicide), 511 (offences punishable with life sentence), 500 (punishment for defamation), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention with other accused) of the Indian Penal Code.

After registration of the FIR, Sahil too filed written complaints with the Oshiwara Police Station against Manoj for filing a false case against him under the false pretext of committing suicide. Sahil, however, apprehended arrest in the case registered against him and immediately moved the Dindoshi Sessions Court. On September 23, the Sessions Court granted anticipatory bail to two of Sahil’s accomplices, but not to him.

It was because of this that Sahil approached the Bombay High Court. The plea filed stated that Sahil has no criminal antecedent, no complaint of any nature and has not been convicted by any court of law. They alleged that the FIR filed by Manoj is wrong, false, bogus and illegal and that it was filed with the malafide motive keeping in mind past grudges.

The plea stated that Sahil is a Bollywood actor and a fitness entrepreneur, also known as India’s Official Aesthetic King in fitness awareness and representing Indian sports and wellness industries across the globe. It states that he is a law-abiding, peace-loving citizen of India.

During the hearing today, advocate Rajiv Chavan, representing Sahil, told the court that section 306 applied in the case goes on to show that the case is false. He told the court that abetment to suicide cannot be applied in the case as Manoj is still alive.

Justice PD Naik asked the prosecution as to who had filed the FIR and was surprised to hear that it was Manoj himself. While Chavan pressed that the co-accused in the case had been granted relief, the Prosecution said that this is a case of defamation and added that they needed time to take instructions.

Justice Naik thus granted interim relief to Sahil until the next hearing on October 12.