Selfie Row: “Didn’t Even Know Who Prithvi Shaw Is,” Sapna Gill Tells Court

Sapna Gill who was arrested in a case of an alleged attack on cricketer Prithvi Shaw’s car, was produced before the Andheri court on Friday where the court sent her in police custody till February 20.

It was argued on behalf of Sapna Gill’s lawyer referring to media reports that Prithvi Shaw has a habit of alcohol and that is why he has been banned by the BCCI.

“Sapna didn’t say anything like give ₹ 50,000 and end the case. There is no proof of this. Sapna is an influencer, after 15 hours Prithvi Shaw gets the complaint done through his friend in the police..why it was not done on the same day?” the lawyer argued.

Accused Sapna Gill said in court that she did not even know who Prithvi Shaw was.

“My friend had asked him for the selfie. I didn’t even know he is a cricketer. We were only two and Prithvi shaw was with his eight friends. It’s all wrong that they had food in the hotel, we were partying in the club, and he was drunk. The police asked us to end the matter,” she said.

While talking to the media, Sapna Gill’s lawyer said that the allegations levelled by Mr Shaw are false.

“Today we put our stand in the court that the allegations levelled by Prithvi Shaw are all wrong. In the next hearing, we will demand judicial custody of Sapna and as soon as the court grants it, we will appeal for bail, police have added Section 387,” he said.

Sapna Gill, an accused in the case, was sent to Police custody till February 20. She was produced before Andheri Court by Oshiwara Police.

Prithvi Shaw was allegedly manhandled and his car was attacked with a baseball bat outside a hotel in the Santacruz area of Mumbai, following an argument with the woman social media influencer and her friend Shobit Thakur after the batter refused to click more selfies with the influencer.

The incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday. A complaint about the incident was filed by Prithvi Shaw’s friend Ashish Yadav, who is his flatmate for the last three years and runs a cafe.

The Oshiwara Police arrested Gill on Thursday and seven others have been booked for allegedly trying to intimidate the cricketer by damaging his car and threatening to implicate him in a fake case.

The Police recorded the statement of Prithvi Shaw’s friend Ashish Yadav again on Tuesday. Mr Yadav told the police that the accused had threatened to kill him.

After Mr Yadav’s statement, the police added Section 387 (putting a person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to the FIR.

“The accused had given life threats to Yadav. IPC Sec 387 added to the FIR,” Mumbai Police said.

Oshiwara Police registered a case under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting), 384 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation) and some other sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on the complaint.