Bollywood actress Preity Zinta returned to the city from the United States shortly before noon on Sunday. She will record her supplementary statement on her much-discussed May 30 run-in with her ex-boyfriend and industrialist Ness Wadia at Wankhede Stadium either on Monday or Tuesday.
39-year-old Preity, who had been summoned by the investigators last week to record her supplementary statement on a complaint lodged by her with the Marine Drive police on June 12, arrived in the city from los Angeles via london on a British Airways flight.
The police have not ytr decided as to where they will record Preity’s supplementary statement on her spat with Wadia — that took place during the course of an IPl fixture played between the Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab at Wankhede Stadium on May 30. After recording her statement, the investigators may take Preity to the place(s) where the spat took at the Wankhede stadium so as to recreate the scenes.
The police have so far recorded statements of seven witnesses, including the UIPl COO Sundar Raman and BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel. In a statement recorded by the city police, Raman confirmed on Thursday that the actress had indeed communicated verbally to him about her run-in with Wadia, who co-owns T20 league franchise Kings XI Punjab with Preity.
In her complaint lodged with the police, Preity had alleged that Wadia grabbed her hand and abused her in public view at the Wankhede stadium.
In her complaint, she cited three specific incidents, involving Wadia, that took place on May 30. In the first incident, Wadia allegedly quarreled with the staff of the IPl franchise, Kings XI Punjab – in the presence of the actress. The second incident happened when Preity went back to her seat at the stadium, to where Wadia followed. The third incident happened on the Wankhede stadium ground as per the actress’ complaint.
Though Priety – in her complaint against Ness — has invoked section 354 of IPC (assault or criminal force to woman with an intent outrage her modesty) in complaint against her ex-boyfriend, her lawyer has gone on record saying that the actress did not mean that Ness molested her. The molestation charge, if proven, stipulates a maximum punishment two years in jail or with fine.
The city police are investigating the Preity-Wadia spat from two angles. While the Marine Drive police are investigating her complaint, the anti-extortion branch of the Mumbai are looking into the telephonic calls and a text message received by the office of industrialist Nusli Wadia, father of Ness Wadia, and the secretaries of Jr Wadia, from underworld gangster Ravi Pujari.
A text message received on his mobile by an aide of Ness Wadia early last week had read thus: “Don’t mess around with Preity Zinta. Give my message to Wadia. Otherwise his business will be in trouble.”