Shiney Ahuja’s wife: I’ll stand by my husband!

On the day Shiney Ahuja was remanded to police custody in Mumbai on charges of raping his 18-year-old maid, his wife of over ten years, Anupam, flew down from Delhi to show her support to her husband.

The Shiney-Anupam marriage has been described in the media as long-distance and rocky.

But on Monday, the actor's wife – who has been a corporate executive and at present runs her own business – described the charge of rape against him as "fabrication." She also rubbished police claim that the actor had confessed to his crime.

"I stand by my man and I know that he is a wonderful person and a great father. I heard about his confession and it's all a lie. No one was allowed to meet him yesterday, no one from the family and not even the lawyer. He told our lawyer that he has made no statement and everything that you hear is fabricated."

Denying rumour of any rift in the marriage she said that her relationship with Shiney was strong.

"It has been my choice not to be in the limelight and that has set the rumors mills going. People wrote that we were separated, when I was pregnant and delivering our baby! When there were reports in the papers of us not being together, I was in Mumbai and taking the baby out every day."

Anupam Ahuja, however, refused to talk about which of them had hired the 18-year-old maid, saying the matter was sub-judice.

On Monday, medical examination of the young woman confirmed that she had been physically violated, and a neighbor has told the police that he had seen her emerge from the Ahujas' flat looking distressed.

Calling her husband an "introvert and a shy man," Anupam said that the actor's reputation for arrogance was unfair.

"He does not know how to mince words and since I have decided not to be in the limelight, he has been made to bear the brunt. He has been suffering ever since," she said, adding: "His father is here with me, we are all in touch with each other and are standing united in support of Shiney. He is a person with a golden heart – that's what we say about him in the family."

Anupam said that she wanted to convey to her husband that she loved him come what may and would stand by him.

"We have worked hard to be where we are and there is definitely justice in the world. We will get justice," she said.