In a distressing development, actor of popular TV drama Naagin 3 – Pearl V Puri – was arrested in the alleged rape of a minor girl. The case dates back 2 years ago when the survivor’s father lodged a case against Puri in 2019. The 31-year-old actor is arrested under the POCSO (Protection Of Children From Sexual Offences) Act, 2012 along with 5 others.
Details
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
Naagin 3 actor Pearl V Puri on Friday night was arrested for raping a minor. The actor was put on remand by the Vasai court and was under police custody. On June 5, the actor was let go on bail.
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The facts of the matter
Sanjay Patil, DCP, Mira Bhayandar Zone issued a statement saying-
“The victim identified the accused recently, and after recording her statement, the accused has been arrested. After the identification of the accused, we have taken him into custody for further investigation.”
Puri allegedly asked for sexual favors in exchange of career in TV
According to DCP Patil-
“the incident is not new and the survivor’s mother along with the survivor lodged a complaint to the police that Puri promised her a TV career and sought sexual favours in return.”
According to a Times of India report, DCP Sanjay Patil said-
“The incident is old, but the minor victim complained to us along with her mother at the police station, and we registered case under Section 376 (rape) of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act.”
Police revealed that Puri had promised her a career in TV serials in return for sexual favors.
Puri to be produced to court today
According to the DCP, the survivor of the incident filed an FIR in 2019 under IPC 376 (Punishment for rape), and POCSO Act 4 (Punishment for penetrative sexual assault), Act 8 (Punishment for sexual assault), Act 12 (Punishment for sexual harassment), Act 19 (Reporting of offences) & 21 (Punishment for failure to report or record a case) at Waliv, Thane. DCP Patil also added that Puri will be produced in the court on June 5, Saturday.
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Karishma Tanna, Ekta Kapoor Shows Support
Meanwhile, several B-Town celebrities have showed their support claiming that Puri could not have committed the crime and that the truth shall prevail. After Puri got out on bail, Bollywood actress Karishma Tanna took to Instagram and wrote, “Satyamev Jayate. Truth wins and he did win. #gotbail @pearlvpuri #istandwithpearl #truthneverhides #pvp.
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Balaji Telefilms Creative Head and tv show producer Ekta Kapoor also wrote a long post on Instagram in which she claimed that the survivor’s mother confirmed Pearl’s innocence.
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“After various calls with the child‘s/girl’s mother, who openly said that Pearl was not involved and it’s her husband trying to create stories to keep her child and prove that a working mother on a set cannot take care of her kid.” Kapoor further added, “If this is true then it is wrong on so many levels! Using an extremely important movement like ‘Me Too’ frivolously, to get your own agendas met with and mentally torturing a child and making an innocent person guilty.”
Did disputes between parents led to Puri’s arrest?
While official word will come from the Court, a Times of India report claims that the survivor’s parents had filed for divorce and have been on loggerheads for the custody of the minor. According to the newspaper’s sources, the father of the survivor is also part of the show Puri is (Bepanah Pyaar). The mother of the survivor also claims that no such incident happened and the minor was ‘tutored’ by her father.
