Mumbai, Nov 06: Well-known film financier Bharat Shah has filed an appeal in Mumbai High Court challenging the order of a special court which had convicted him in a case of alleged nexus of Bollywood with the underworld. The appeal will come up for hearing before Justice A S Aguair on November 11, court sources said.
Shah was convicted under IPC on October 1 by designated court set up under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for concealing information about the activities of organised crime syndicate.
However, the court acquitted him of the charges under MCOCA for allegedly forging links with Karachi-based gangster Chhota Shakeel.
Shah was sentenced to one years' rigorous imprisonment. However, he was let off the hook as he had already spent 14 months in jail.
Shah has challenged the trial court order saying the judge had erred in convicting him as there was no material against him. He said the conviction was a stigma in his career. Shah also challenged the special court's order which debarred him from receiving the funds of film `Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' in future.
In a counter move, Maharashtra government had initiated steps to file an appeal against the order of special court convicting Shah for a year. According to official sources, the directorate of prosecution felt shah should have been convicted under Section 3(1)(II) of MCOCA which attracts five years jail term for possessing knowledge about activities of organised crime syndicate. Bureau Report