Bombay HC grants pre-arrest bail to actor Sahil Khan over bodybuilder’s suicide bid

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday confirmed interim pre-arrest bail granted to actor and fitness enthusiast Sahil Khan in connection with a suicide attempt by bodybuilder Manoj Patil. The court granted pre-arrest bail to Khan on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with sureties.

A single-judge bench of Justice Nitin W Sambre heard Sahil Khan’s anticipatory bail plea, which was filed after a sessions court had denied him pre-arrest bail in the case.

Khan was named in the FIR filed by Oshiwara police in September in connection with a suicide attempt by Patil, who won the Indian Body Builders Federation (IBBF) Mr India title for best sports physique in 2016.

Patil had tried to end his life by taking an overdose of sleeping pills at his Oshiwara residence and was rushed to hospital where he is recovering. Khan and a few others have been booked for pushing him to take the extreme step, an officer said.

Senior advocate Rajiv Chavan for Khan argued that his client had no criminal antecedents and that the complaint lodged by Patil was “false, bogus, motivated” and registered due to grudges from the past.

Chavan told the court that section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC is wrongly applied in the case and the same is arbitrary and could be applied as Patil is still alive.

The court held that ingredients of section 306 of IPC are not made out against Khan and confirmed interim protection granted to the applicant.

The Bombay High Court also put a condition that Khan should not make statements about the complainant on social media or other forums.