Pokhara High Court today acquitted actor Purna Bikram Shah, popularly known as Paul Shah, who is currently imprisoned after being found guilty of sexually abusing a minor.

On September 2022, the district court in Nawalparasi (East) has sentenced actor Shah to 2.5 years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on the charge of sexually abusing a minor.

Shah had filed an appeal at the Pokhara High Court demanding the jail sentence imposed on him be revised.

A bench of justices Dilliraj Acharya and Sridhara Kumari Pudasaini acquitted Shah from the sexual offense charge, stating that there is enough evidence to back up the case against Shah and the prosecution’s claim was not sufficient.

According to Paul Shah’s lawyer Kamala Mohan Wagle, Shah has been cleared of all charges and will be released tomorrow.

Shah was accused of repeatedly raping a 17-year-old minor, who is also an aspiring singer, in Tanahun and Nawalparasi (East) districts.