Cricketer Prithvi Shaw has been fined a symbolic ₹100 by a Mumbai sessions court for repeatedly failing to respond to a molestation case filed by social media influencer Sapna Gill. The case stems from an alleged altercation at a Mumbai nightclub in 2023 that has become a high-profile legal dispute.
Despite multiple summons and a final warning during a previous hearing, Shaw did not file his response to Gill’s criminal revision petition by the court-mandated deadline. However, the judge granted him one last opportunity, stating: “Still, one more chance is granted for a cost of Rs 100,” and set the next hearing for December 16, 2025.
The origins: A late-night altercation at a Mumbai pub
The controversy dates back to February 15, 2023, when an incident allegedly took place around 1 a.m. at a pub in Andheri, Mumbai. According to police reports, the incident began when Shobit Thakur, a friend of Sapna Gill, repeatedly asked Shaw for selfies. Shaw declined, which allegedly led to a heated confrontation.
As Shaw left the venue with his friend Ashish Surendra Yadav, Thakur was reportedly attacked with a baseball bat. Shaw was not injured and reportedly left the scene. Yadav, however, was pursued by a group of six individuals, including Gill and Thakur, who allegedly demanded ₹50,000.
A police case was filed against the group, and Sapna Gill was arrested on February 17, 2023. She was released on bail three days later.
Gill’s counter-allegations and legal move
Sapna Gill’s version of events sharply contradicts the police account. She alleges that she and Thakur were invited by Shaw and Yadav to join them at a VIP table, and that Thakur was attacked after asking for selfies. Gill claims that when she tried to intervene, Prithvi Shaw physically and sexually assaulted her.
Gill subsequently filed a counter-complaint accusing Shaw of assault, molestation, and outraging her modesty. The magistrate court declined to register an FIR, instead directing police to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Dissatisfied, Gill escalated the matter to the sessions court in April 2024 through a criminal revision petition.
Court slams Shaw’s non-compliance
The sessions court has repeatedly directed Prithvi Shaw to respond to the petition but received no formal reply. Despite a final warning issued during a previous hearing, Shaw’s legal team failed to meet the deadline.
Gill’s lawyer, Advocate Ali Kaashif Khan, expressed frustration, stating: “This has been his regular way of handling the case despite being summoned many times.”
What’s next?
With the court now imposing a token fine and setting a final deadline, Shaw must file his response before December 16, 2025, when the next hearing is scheduled. Until then, the legal standoff between the Indian cricketer and the influencer remains unresolved.
