“Sapna Gill and some guys were waiting outside the venue, one had a baseball bat in hand,” Rayya Labib supports Prithvi Shaw in ‘selfie’ attack case

MUMBAI: In the ‘selfie’ attack case, actor Rayya Labib has spoken up in support of cricketer Prithvi Shaw, saying she saw some persons troubling the cricketer at the restaurant.

“Later on the same persons who were removed from the premises by the bouncers and security were seen standing outside along witb others and one of them was holding a baseball bat in his hand,” Rayya explained.

According to her, she was at the same place at Barrel Mansion club at Vile Parle East near the Santacruz domestic airport and was almost leaving, when she saw some commotion happening and shouting and noticed that a woman and one more person was hassling cricketer Prithvi Shaw.

“I did not recognize Sapna Gill at first as I do not know her. I was in a hurry and was leaving the venue, so I do not know what happened after that and the car chase and assault on the road and all. I believe Sapna Gill should not have troubled Shaw for the selfies. This is wrong. I know that some influencers will do crazy things to make reels and take photos and selfies and I am sure whatever happened was somewhere started by Gill and her friends. They should have left Shaw alone and apologized and left,” Rayya said adding that it was Sapna Gill and her group that started the commotion and fight in the first place.

“Shaw and his group did not first approach Sapna or her friends, it was the other way around. Her friends were actually trying to shoot reels or videos with the cricketer, which angered him as he was having a private dinner with his group,” Rayya revealed.

According to media reports, social media influencer Sapna Gill was on Thursday arrested by the Mumbai Police (Oshiwara Police station), after a case of rioting, criminal intimidation and extortion was registered against her and seven others for allegedly attacking Indian cricketer Prithvi Shaw’s car with a baseball following an argument over taking selfies with him outside a luxury hotel at Santacruz.

According to reports, Sapna Gill’s medical was completed after the arrest and she will be produced in court on Friday.

The Oshiwara police in suburban Mumbai registered a case against the eight accused including Sapna Gill under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting), 384 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation) and others.

Meanwhile, in a new development, Gill’s lawyer has filed a counter-complaint against Shaw alleging that in fact it was his client who was attacked by Shaw and his friends and not the other way round.