BENGALURU: A 19-year-old girl has accused a film producer and realtor of sexually assaulting her on the pretext of taking auditions for a film. She said that he had sexually assaulted her multiple times since November 2016. He has also allegedly blackmailed and threatened her against filing a police complaint.
Based on her complaint, the Kumaraswamy Layout police have arrested the producer, Kumar Gaurav, and remanded him in judicial custody.According to the complaint filed by the victim, Nithya (name changed), Gaurav approached her when she was near her college in 2016. He introduced himself as a film producer and told her that he could offer her a role in his film, as she was good looking. After taking her phone number, he would call her often.
In November 2016 he called her and said he wanted two of her photographs for the audition. He picked her up from her paying guest accommodation and took him to his house in ISRO layout. He said he was already selected for the film but an audition had to be done for formality sake.
After reaching his house he locked the door and allegedly sexually assaulted her. He even threatened to inform her parents if she filed any complaint or told anyone about his act.
Gaurav is said to have booked several hotel rooms in Jayanagar, where he would assault her. Gaurav also allegedly forced her to send her nude pictures, which were used to blackmail her.Nithya has alleged that when she requested to leave her alone, Gaurav even went to the extent of saying that she belonged to a certain caste and no one would marry her.
On one occasion, when she refused to have sex with him, Gavrav allegedly raped her at gunpoint in a hotel. He also took her to outstation locations against her will and would sexually assault her.On March 16, he had booked a room in the hotel and locked her for a day and raped her. Unable to bare the harassment, she finally approached the police.
An investigating officer said Gaurav has been arrested for rape and under SC/ST Act, and has been remanded in judicial custody.
He is now lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail. Police are also investigating to determine whether Nithya was raped when she was a minor, to invoke the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012,against Gaurav.