Prithvi calls social media influencer’s plea against him false

Indian cricketer Prithvi Shaw on Tuesday claimed that social media influencer Sapna Gill’s plea against him in an alleged molestation case was frivolous, and filed with the intention of maligning his image and gaining publicity. In a written reply filed before a court here, Shaw claimed that Gill was playing the “womanhood card” to settle a “personal vendetta” following a 2023 case against her over a brawl in a pub.

Gill had been arrested in February 2023 in connection with an alleged attack on Shaw following an argument over clicking selfies at a suburban hotel. After getting bail, she approached the Airport police station in Andheri with a complaint against Shaw, his friend Ashish Yadav and others for alleged molestation and outraging modesty. But the police did not register a First Information Report (FIR).

Gill then approached a magistrate’s court, seeking a direction to police to register an FIR. Police told the court in their reply that no offence was made out against Shaw and others. The magistrate then ordered a fresh inquiry by police under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Such an inquiry is aimed at determining if there are sufficient grounds to proceed with a case.

Unhappy with the order, Gill filed a revision petition before a sessions court in April 2024 through advocate Ali Kaashif Khan. Shaw, after failing to respond on multiple occasions, finally filed his reply on Tuesday, stating that Gill was “playing the womanhood card with sole intention to settle the personal vendetta as counterblast” to the FIR against her.

“The present criminal revision application is false, frivolous, vexatious and filed with the sole intention to malign, defame and harass the respondent by misusing his public image and celebrity status,” Shaw’s reply said.

Gill is a struggling actor”, and had moved the court “with sole intention to gain publicity” and “extort handsomely” from the cricketer by implicating him in a false complaint, it alleged. The matter will be next heard on March 31. Responding to the reply, Gill’s lawyer stated that it does not cover a “single iota of evidence or alibi in support of his case”.