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{{Short description|Advocate from Rajasthan, India}}
{{Use indian english|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Poonam Chand Solanki
| image =
| alt = P. C. Solanki
| caption =
| occupation = Advocate
| years_active = 1996–present
| known_for = [[Asaram Bapu]] rape case (2013–2018)
}}

'''Poonam Chand Solanki''' (also known as '''P. C. Solanki''') is an Indian [[advocate]] from [[Jodhpur]], Rajasthan.<ref name="TOI2018FearFavour">{{cite news |date=2018-04-26 |title=Poonam Chand Solanki: The man who fought without fear or favour |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/poonam-chand-solanki-the-man-who-fought-without-fear-or-favour/articleshow/63918139.cms |accessdate=2024-07-07 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> He is best known for successfully representing the victim in a multi-year trial of [[Asaram|Asaram Bapu]] in 2013 [[Asaram#Jodhpur rape convictions and imprisonment|Jodhpur rape case]], which resulted in the self-styled godman's conviction and life imprisonment in 2018. His legal battle inspired the 2023 Hindi film ''[[Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai]].''

== Early life and career ==
Poonam Chand Solanki's father was a retired railway mechanic.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bohra |first=Sanjay |date=2018-05-06 |title=Man who stared at death and won {{!}} Man who stared at death and won |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sunday-chronicle/headliners/060518/man-who-stared-at-death-and-won.html |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.deccanchronicle.com |language=en}}</ref> He attended a central school for primary education and joined the Bar Council of Rajasthan in 1996.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Suryavanshi |first=Aditi |date=2023-05-23 |title='Bandaa': The True Story Behind Manoj Bajpayee's Courtroom Drama on Asaram Bapu |url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/hot-on-web/sirf-ek-bandaa-kaafi-hai-manoj-bajpayee-advocate-pc-solanki-asaram-bapu-2013-rape-case |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=TheQuint |language=en}}</ref> He has practiced in various courts, including the High Court, [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]], and Session Courts.<ref name=":0" />

One of his early notable [[Public interest litigation in India|public interest litigations]] (PIL) was in 2002. He filed a PIL in the [[Rajasthan High Court]] against the immersion of Ganesh idols made from [[Plaster of Paris]] in Gulab Sagar, a lake near Jodhpur's historic [[Ghanta Ghar (Jodhpur)|Ghantaghar]], due to the resulting pollution and death of aquatic life. The High Court subsequently banned the immersion of such idols in the lake. Solanki reportedly faced threats from some groups following this PIL.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="EconomicTimes2023Bandaa">{{cite news |date=2023-06-05 |title=PC Solanki, advocate who inspired Manoj Bajpayee's 'Bandaa', drags producers to court for copyright violation |url=https://m.economictimes.com/magazines/panache/pc-solanki-advocate-who-inspired-manoj-bajpayees-bandaa-drags-producers-to-court-for-copyright-violation/articleshow/100496846.cms |accessdate=2024-07-07 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>

=== Asaram Bapu rape case ===
Solanki gained national prominence for his role as the counsel for the minor victim in the sexual assault case against Asaram Bapu, which began in 2013.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=The nightmarish struggle to bring Asaram to justice |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/asaram-nightmarish-struggle-bring-justice |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=caravanmagazine.in |language=en}}</ref><ref name="rape">{{Cite news |title=Self-styled godman Asaram found guilty of rape of teenager in 2013 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/self-styled-godman-asaram-found-guilty-of-rape-of-teenager-in-2013/articleshow/63892726.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426034212/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/self-styled-godman-asaram-found-guilty-of-rape-of-teenager-in-2013/articleshow/63892726.cms |archive-date=26 April 2018 |access-date=25 April 2018 |work=The Times of India}}</ref> The victim's family approached him after being dissatisfied with the initial progress and unable to afford legal fees.<ref name="IndiaToday2018">{{cite news |date=2018-05-02 |title=Lawyer who fought for victim in Asaram case, vows to continue fight if needed |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lawyer-who-fought-for-victim-in-asaram-case-vows-to-continue-fight-if-needed-1224818-2018-05-02 |accessdate=2024-07-07 |work=India Today}}</ref> Solanki took on the case [[pro bono]], stating he was fighting for truth and justice rather than money.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="TOI2018FearFavour" />

Throughout the five-year trial (2013 – 2018), Solanki faced a defense team of prominent Indian lawyers such as [[Ram Jethmalani]], [[Salman Khurshid]], [[Subramanian Swamy]], and [[K. T. S. Tulsi]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is Lawyer Poonam Chand Solanki, Allegedly Played by Manoj Bajpayee in |url=https://www.india.com/entertainment/who-is-lawyer-poonam-chand-solanki-allegedly-played-by-manoj-bajpayee-sirf-ek-bandaa-kaafi-hai-why-is-he-miffed-6069699/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.india.com |language=en}}</ref> who filed over ten bail applications—six in the trial court, three in the Rajasthan High Court, and two in the Supreme Court—all of which were denied.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1">{{cite news |date=23 September 2019 |title=Jodhpur HC dismisses Asaram Bapu's plea challenging life term in rape case |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/asaram-bapu-jodhpur-hc-rape-case-1602214-2019-09-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211072358/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/asaram-bapu-jodhpur-hc-rape-case-1602214-2019-09-23 |archive-date=11 December 2019 |access-date=2019-12-11 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> He reported receiving numerous threats and offers of bribes.<ref name="TOI2018FearFavour" /><ref name="IndiaToday2018" /><ref name="SBSHindi2018">{{cite news |date=2018-05-02 |title=Rape victim's lawyer reveals how 'godman' was finally brought to justice |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/hindi/en/podcast-episode/rape-victims-lawyer-reveals-how-godman-was-finally-brought-to-justice/cv8vvrz0s |accessdate=2024-07-07 |work=SBS Hindi}}</ref> The trial also saw attacks on key prosecution witnesses, with some being killed.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Another prosecution witness in Asaram case attacked in court |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/another-prosecution-witness-asaram-case-2112118 |access-date=2025-07-16 |newspaper=Deccan Herald | agency=PTI | date=13 February 2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yadav |first=Jyoti |date=2023-07-24 |title=Trials, threats, trauma—one man's 10-yr battle against POCSO-convicted godman Asaram Bapu |url=https://theprint.in/ground-reports/trials-threats-trauma-one-mans-10-yr-battle-against-pocso-convicted-godman-asaram-bapu/1682870/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>

In April 2018, the Jodhpur Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Court found Asaram guilty of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment.<ref name="TheHindu2018AsaramConvicted">{{cite news |date=2018-04-25 |title=Asaram convicted for raping minor girl |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/asaram-convicted-for-raping-minor-girl/article61760525.ece |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425081801/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/asaram-convicted-for-raping-minor-girl/article61760525.ece |archivedate=2018-04-25 |accessdate=2018-04-25 |work=The Hindu |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Solanki's efforts in securing the conviction were widely reported.<ref name="TOI2018FearFavour" /><ref name="IndiaToday2018" />

== Media portrayal ==
The 2023 Hindi film ''[[Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai]]'', starring [[Manoj Bajpayee]], was inspired by Poonam Chand Solanki's legal battle in the Asaram case.<ref name="EconomicTimes2023Bandaa" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Pandey |first=Piyush |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cm7-EAAAQBAJ&dq=%22P.+C.+Solanki%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT179 |title=Manoj Bajpayee: The Definitive Biography |date=2024-03-29 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5708-682-0 |language=en |quote=Manoj breathed life into the character of advocate P.C. Solanki.}}</ref>

In May 2023, Solanki reportedly filed a lawsuit against the film's producers, alleging copyright violation and claiming that his intellectual property rights were violated as no [[No Objection Certificate]] (NOC) was obtained from him, and he did not review any script.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hendriques |first=Princia |date=2023-05-26 |title=Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai In Legal Trouble; Lawyer Who Inspired Manoj Bajpayee Film Says His Rights Were 'Violated' |url=https://in.mashable.com/entertainment/53470/sirf-ek-bandaa-kaafi-hai-in-legal-trouble-lawyer-who-inspired-manoj-bajpayee-film-says-his-rights-we |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=Mashable India |language=en-in}}</ref><ref name="ABPLive2023BandaaControversy">{{cite news |date=2023-05-25 |title=Advocate Who Inspired Manoj Bajpayee's Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai Files Case, Says 'Not A Hero' |url=https://news.abplive.com/entertainment/movies/jodhpur-based-advocate-poonam-chand-solanki-sues-makers-of-manoj-bajpayee-s-sirf-ek-bandaa-kaafi-1604684 |accessdate=2024-07-07 |work=ABP Live}}</ref> He stated that the agreement he signed was for a biopic, and the rights were sold to another party without his knowledge.<ref name="EconomicTimes2023Bandaa" /><ref name="TOI2023BandaaFilmControversy">{{cite news |date=2023-05-25 |title='Film wrongly publicised, terms & conditions violated', alleges real-life hero behind 'Bandaa' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/hindi/film-wrongly-publicised-terms-conditions-violated-alleges-real-life-hero-behind-bandaa/articleshow/100493483.cms |accessdate=2024-07-07 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Solanki also expressed that he did not see himself as a "hero" but as a lawyer who discharged his duties.<ref name="ABPLive2023BandaaControversy" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb title|qid=Q118179871|id=tt24485052}}
* {{Bollywood Hungama movie|id=bandaa}}
{{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Solanki, P. C.}}
[[Category:People from Jodhpur]]
[[Category:Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]

P. C. Solanki - Revision history

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