Bollywood actor Jackky Bhagnani, fintech startup Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath and 7 others are booked by the Bandra Police for molestation of an ex-model. The police lodged FIR on a total of 9 high profile men for molestation and rape of model who now works as an artist and songwriter.
Who are the 9-high profile people facing rape-charges? What are the other charges they face?
Mumbai-based photographer Colston Julian, talent management agency Kwan’s co-founder Anirban Das Blah, Bollywood actor Jackky Bhagnani, fintech startup Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath, T-series owner Krishan Kumar, Bollywood producer Ajit Thakur, Sheel Gupta, Thalaivi producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri & Gurujyot Singh are all who are facing molestation and rape charges.
The Bandra police have filed an FIR on these men under the Section 376 (Punishment for rape), Section 354 (Assault to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Also Read: Karan Mehra Arrest: Actor claims wife Nisha Rawal playing ‘bechari card’; Is Bipolar and Violent
What does the FIR say?
According to the FIR, Jaccky Bhagnani molested the survivor in Bandra while Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath harrased the survivor at a Santacruz based hotel. Further, the FIR also states that Sheel Gupta harrassed the survivor model at an Andheri building in 2015.
It should be noted that the survivor had prior to this approached the DCP of the region Dr. Maheshwar Reddy who further instructed an Andheri Police Station police officer to record the statement. The matter was then moved to Zone 9 DCP in Bandra as most of these incidents took place in the Bandra jurisdiction from the year 2013 to 2019.
FIR Registered, Survivor receives death threat
Mid-day reported Inspector Sagar Nikam to be validating the women’s allegations and processing the evidences.
“We have registered the FIR based on her complaint. We are in the process of collecting the pieces of evidence that the survivor claims to possess against them. Our investigations are underway,”
-Inspector Nikam stated.
The survivor told Mid-day that the police is conducting the investigation and recently took her to the places where the offences against her were made. “One woman police officer took me to the locations where these accused sexually abused me in Mumbai.”
It should also be made of note that Apernah Dubey, the 28-year-old model-turned songwriter told Midday that she has been in the course of years been sexually abused by several influential people – from the likes of a high-profile photographer, to an author to producers. She also alleged that when she first took to police, one of the accused – Sheel Gupta, threatened her and since then she was receiving threats from some international numbers.
Also Read: Bollywood Actress Juhi Chawla files plea against 5G in India; Gets Trolled on Twitter
Bhagnani not in India, Julian gone underground
According to a woman police officer, Colston Julian has gone underground and the police found his Bandra house under a lock with his car missing. Further, Jackky Bhagnani is in a different country and will be coming back to India in September. Another alleged culprit, Anirban Das Blah is making the news for committing sexual offences for the second time. Back in 2018, when the #MeToo movement had gained momentum, the co-founder of Kwan was called by multiple women to have committed sexual offences. When he was forced to resign from the company, Blah wrote an admittance letter and tried attempting suicide.
Also Read: Also Read: Former Big Boss 9 participant Yuvika Chaudhary booked by Haryana police for using casteist slur in video
Survivor admits to have undergone mental trauma
Meanwhile, the survivor was reported by Mid-Day to have undergone severe mental trauma during 2012-2019. In her interview to the platform, she said how she could not find the strength to go to the police as those who are the culprits are men with influence.
“I thought of continuing my work but when I started to raise my voice against their misconduct, the group of harassers started to malign me,”
-she said.
She further added how the ‘gang’ tried to damage her reputation in the industry and eventually she stopped receiving projects. Due to this she slipped into depression.
“Whenever I tried to raise my voice, these people would gang up and in some cases, I had to partially succumb and allow them to sexually abuse me,”
-she further added and gave an account of the injustice she faced.
