Sheezan Khan, arrested in television actress Tunisha Sharma's suicide case, gets bail

Television actor Sheezan Khan, who is accused and arrested in television actress Tunisha Sharma's suicide case, has been granted bail on Rs 1 lakh surety bond by Vasai court.

The court also ordered the actor to surrender his passport and asked him not to leave the country without prior permission of the court.

Advocate Sharad Rai, who represented Khan, said the applicant had sought bail on various grounds, including that the chargesheet in the case had already been filed and the probe was over. He also argued that this case does not attract punishment under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 306 (abetment to suicide).

Special public prosecutor Sanjay More countered the submission made by Khan that he was not present in the room when Sharma ended her life.

21-year-old Sharma, who acted in the show 'Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul', was found hanging in the washroom on the set of the serial on December 24 last year near Vasai in Palghar district. Khan was arrested by the police in the next day for allegedly abetting her suicide.

Khan and Sharma had acted in a few television serials and were said to be in a relationship which allegedly came to an end just a few weeks before Sharma was found hanging.

Lawyer Sharad Rai, appearing for 28-year-old Khan, had made the submission before Additional Sessions Judge SM Deshpande at Vasai in Maharashtra's Palghar district during a hearing on his bail plea.

During arguments, Rai submitted before the court that the section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (abetment of suicide), under which Khan has been booked by the police, does not apply in the case. Conviction under the section attracts jail term up to ten years.

On February 16, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police filed a 500-page chargesheet against Khan.

Tunisha Sharma made her acting debut with 'Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap'. She also worked in shows like 'Ishq Subhan Allah', 'Gabbar Poonchwala', 'Sher-e-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh', and 'Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat'.

The actor also appeared in Bollywood movies including 'Fitoor', 'Baar Baar Dekho', 'Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh', and 'Dabangg 3'.

Young Katrina Kaif was portrayed by Tunisha Sharma in the films - 'Fitoor' and 'Baar Baar Dekho'. She also had a brief appearance in 'Dabangg 3' alongside Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha.

With inputs from PTI