Obscenity case against Mallika Sherawat adjourned to June 29

Vadodara, Jun 26 (UNI) A local court today adjourned till June 29, hearing on a petition filed against item girl and Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat for her alleged ''obscene'' New Year eve dance programme at a hotel in Mumbai.

First Class Judicial Magistrate D K Trivedi, to whom the case was recently transferred, following a prayer by petitioner and Baroda Bar Association (BBA) President Narendra Tiwari, directed the police to submit its investigation report before the court at the next hearing on June 29.

In his petition, Mr Tiwari alleged that Mallika's programme organised at J W Mariott Hotel on the night of December 31, 2006 was not only obscene and ugly but also against Indian culture. He prayed for action against the Bollywood actress and the hotel's owner for having committed an offence under section 8 of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act and sections 366 and 244 of IPC.

Acting upon the complaint filed by Tiwari on January 12, the court had earlier ordered the J P Road police to investigate the complaint under section 202 CrPC. and submit its report to the court within 30 days.

After the court pulled up the police recently for delaying the investigation into the case, a police team was sent to Mumbai to serve summons on the actress and the hotel manager, but had to return with the statements of Mallika's brother and the financial manager of the hotel as the team failed to trace the two accused.

UNI