veteran bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi On Thursday, he was back in the news as the Bombay High Court heard his plea to quash the 2019 rape FIR lodged against him at Mumbai’s Versova police station. The case involves allegations made by a female Bollywood actress.
Aditya Pancholi demands cancellation of rape FIR; Next hearing on 24th February
Describing the complaint, Pancholi’s legal team, led by lawyer Prashant Patil, urged the court to quash the FIR on the grounds that it was filed several years after the alleged incident. “malicious” and lack of timely evidence. The petition cited legal precedent, particularly the Supreme Court’s Bhajanlal judgment, which allows quashing of criminal proceedings in specific circumstances.
During Thursday’s hearing, the defense also presented a recording of a meeting held before the FIR was filed, which they claim demonstrates “wrong intention” behind the complaint. The court took note of the argument but did not rule on its admissibility, instead choosing to focus on procedural matters at this stage. The main issue raised in the court was the absence of the complainant from the police investigation. The government counsel informed the bench that despite 11 notices sent by the investigating agency, the actress did not appear for questioning. In light of this, the Bombay High Court issued a fresh notice directing him to appear in the next hearing on February 24, 2026.
Pancholi, whose career spans decades with various roles in Hindi cinema, has previously rejected the allegations, calling them false and expressing his willingness to cooperate with authorities. As the case returns to court next week, all eyes will be on the developments in one of Bollywood’s longest-running legal sagas.
