Ness Wadia says charges false as Preity Zinta accuses him of molestation

Businessman Ness Wadia, who has been accused of molestation and abuse by his former girlfriend and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta in a police complaint, said on Friday he was shocked by the allegations and termed them as "false and baseless".

"I am shocked at the complaint and the allegations made against me are totally false and baseless," Wadia said in a statement.

His statement came after it came to light that the 39-year-old actress, who jointly owns Kings XI Punjab Indian Premier League cricket team with Wadia, has filed a police complaint against Wadia alleging that he molested, abused and threatened her inside Wankhede stadium in south Mumbai.

Zinta filed the police complaint on Thursday night at Marine Drive police station alleging that she was molested by Wadia, 44, inside the Wankhede stadium on May 30. On that day, an IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings was played in the stadium.

She gave a written complaint following which a first information report was registered against Wadia under the Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), according to police station officials.

The actress and the businessman had broken their five-year-long relationship sometime back.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria on Saturday said, "Offence has been registered. We are trying to collect evidence like the statements of those involved and CCTV footage."

Image: Businessman Ness Wadia with actress Preity Zinta in Mumbai in February 2008. Photograph: Punit Paranjpe/Reuters