KOCHI: Kochi City police have registered a case against an associate director over an alleged casting couch incident. Dhinil Babu was booked for reportedly harassing a woman on the pretext of offering her a role in a film. The incident came to light after the victim lodged a complaint with Ernakulam South station, a police source said.
The complainant said Dhinil contacted her for a meeting to discuss a role in an upcoming movie under the banner of Wayfarer Films. He asked her to meet him in a building near Wayfarer’s office in Panampilly Nagar. When she arrived, Dhinil allegedly led her into a room, locked the door, and attempted to sexually assault her, the officer said.
The victim also claimed that Dhinil threatened to end her movie career if she resisted. She said she was saved only by her husband arriving at the spot, the officer said. “We booked Dhinil under various charges, including outraging the modesty of a woman under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” said Santhosh P R, station house officer with Ernakulam Town South station.
Meanwhile, Wayfarer Films also lodged complaints with Kochi City police and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), stating that Dhinil attempted to defame the company by misusing its name in connection with the incident.