Cosmetic surgeon facing rape charge gets pre-arrest bail

A sessions court here on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to well-known cosmetic and plastic surgeon Viral Desai in an alleged sexual assault case filed by a television actress.

Desai's pre-arrest bail application was allowed by Additional Sessions Judge Kalpana S Hore.

The TV actress, in her complaint to the police, had accused Desai of sexually assaulting her in his clinic in the suburbs on August 9, a charge denied by him.

Following the complaint, Desai, whose clients included film and television personalities, was booked under IPC section 376 (punishment for rape) by the police.

In his anticipatory bail plea, Desai had refuted the rape allegation, saying the actress and he were in a "consensual relationship" since the last few years.

The facts of August 9 (the day of alleged incident) were being purposefully misrepresented by the complainant, the celebrity doctor had told the court.

Desai had submitted before the court evidence in the form of photographs and WhatsApp chats to back his claim that the two were in a consensual relationship.

Desais counsel Parvez Memon said, We are happy with the order of the anticipatory bail passed by the court.

"The so-called victim has resorted to the abuse of process of law with ulterior motives which was exposed by us in the court through cogent evidence suggesting a consensual relationship.