Shiney Ahuja to challenge rape verdict

Spicezee Bureau

Mumbai: Just a day after Bombay High Court’s slapped seven years rigorous imprisonment on Shiney Ahuja for raping his domestic help, the actor plans to appeal against the directive of the apex court. According to the latest reports, Shiney will challenge his conviction in the High Court pleading his innocence. The actor has maintained throughout the case that the sex was consensual, and that the rape charges are only to tarnish his image and a bid to extortion. In June 2009, an 18-year-old domestic maid was hired by the actor and his wife to work for them at their residence. However, according to the maid’s earlier statement, she was raped by Shiney when his wife was away. Shiney was arrested after the DNA tests confirmed the rape. He was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in October 2009 and was asked to stay away from Mumbai so that he would not be able to influence the victim. Shiney Ahuja and his wife both insisted that he is innocent. Interestingly, in 2010, the victim retracted from her earlier statement, saying that she had framed the actor at the behest of an opportunist who held a grudge against him.