Mumbai Police book Bollywood producer Bhushan Kumar for rape - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Mumbai Police book Bollywood producer Bhushan Kumar for rape

ByVinay Dalvi & Megha Sood
Jul 17, 2021 12:27 AM IST

DN Nagar police at Andheri registered a rape case against Bollywood producer Bhushan Kumar on Friday after a 30-year-old woman claimed that she was sexually assaulted by the T-Series managing director on the pretext of offering work in their projects

DN Nagar police at Andheri registered a rape case against Bollywood producer Bhushan Kumar on Friday after a 30-year-old woman claimed that she was sexually assaulted by the T-Series managing director on the pretext of offering work in their projects.

HT Image
HT Image

Kumar has denied the allegations and claimed that the complainant has worked for the T-Series banner in films and music videos.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

According to the complainant, she had approached Kumar in September 2017 after one of her acquaintances told her that he could provide her work in T-Series’ projects.

She claimed that Kumar then gave her his personal contact number and asked her to call him the next day. When she did so, he asked her to download an app and contact him through it.

She alleged that on October 14, 2017, Kumar had called her at his bungalow at Andheri (West) for discussing work-related issues and raped her. He told her she would have to “compromise” if she wanted to enter the film industry. He also told her that he had video-recorded the act and threatened to make the video viral, if she revealed the incident to anyone.

The woman has claimed that Kumar continued to exploit her even after the incident on the pretext of providing her with work in T-Series projects, and her ordeal continued till last August.

She added that she did not lodge a complaint so far against the film producer as she was frightened, and also thought that no action would be taken against him as he is an influential Bollywood producer.

It was only after one of her colleagues encouraged her that she mustered the courage to lodge a police complaint against Bhushan, she claimed.

“We have registered a case under sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” said senior inspector Milind Kurde of DN Nagar police station.

Kumar’s team has issued a statement denying the allegations.

“The complaint filed against Mr Bhushan Kumar is completely false and malicious and the contents of the same are denied,” read the statement. “It has been falsely alleged that the lady in question was sexually exploited between 2017 and 2020 on the pretext of giving her work,” it added, and claimed that the complainant “has already worked for T-Series banner in film and music videos.”

The statement added that around March, the complainant had approached Kumar seeking help to fund one of the web-series which she wanted to produce, which was “politely” refused to.

“Thereafter in June, after the lifting of lockdown in Maharashtra, she started approaching the T-Series banner in collusion with her accomplice demanding a huge sum of money as extortion amount. Consequently, a complaint was filed by T-Series against the attempted extortion with Amboli police station on July 1. We also have evidence in the form of audio-recording for the extortion attempt and the same shall be provided to the investigating agency. The present complaint filed by her is nothing but a counter blast to the complaint filed against her and her accomplice for the offence of extortion (sic),” read the statement from Kumar’s team.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On