

HYDERABAD: A director of short films was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly raping a 25-year-old software employee under the pretext of offering to cast her in his productions. The accused, Siddarth Varma, 30, was sent to judicial remand.
The survivor hails from Andhra Pradesh and works at a software company in Cyberabad, the police said. A few months ago, she got acquainted with Siddarth through a mutual friend. “Siddarth cast her in his short film,” the Gachibowli police said.
In May, he invited her to his residence for dinner, during which he offered her a soft drink laced with liquor. Later, after she lost consciousness, he allegedly raped her. He raped her multiple times in the same way, the police added.
Based on the complaint filed by the survivor, the Gachibowli police had registered a case on charges of rape and cheating.