Mumbai: Forced and threatened, claim porn case victims

The porn videos were bought by platforms allegedly run by businessman Raj Kundra. Kundra was at Killa court on Tuesday for his remand hearing in the case. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Statements given to the police by victims in the pornography racket busted in February this year have revealed how the women were lured with money amid the lockdown, forced to perform obscene acts and threatened with police cases for violating the contract if they objected. mid-day has accessed the details of statements recorded by two such women.

The two small-time actresses were struggling to find work amid the lockdown. Signing up for work with the accused led them to be forced into making pornographic content. They were allegedly forced by accused Gehna Vasisth, Rova Khan and Tanveer Khan into the work. The trio sold the videos to Arvind Srivastava alias Yash Thakur and businessman Raj Kundra. The videos were later uploaded on platforms such as Hot Hit, Nuefliks and HotShots.

How they got work

According to a 25-year-old woman's statement, she used to play small roles in short films in Hindi, Marathi and Bhojpuri. In 2018, she got some work through a casting director named Raunak. On February 4, they met in Malad where Rova also came and was introduced to the woman as the producer and director. The woman was taken to Madh in Rova's car and given a script named ‘Single Mother'. The woman was then taken to the makeup room.

Gehna Vasisth was one of the women arrested after the racket was busted. File pic

After the woman was ready, she was told she wouldn't fit the role of a single mother as she was too thin and was given a script called ‘Bartanwali'. The woman read the script and refused to work. She was told by Rova that she would have to do the work if she wants money and that the film would not be aired on any channel. "People have to pay to watch this film, we have changed your name and look, no one will be able to recognise you," the woman was allegedly told by Rova.

Then Rova asked the woman to record a small video using the name ‘Shanaya' and saying, "Hi, my name is Shanaya. I have done Bold series on Hot Hit Channel. Download, Like and Subscribe to Hot Hit Channel to see my look. I don't mind if this web series gets released anywhere."

The woman was about to get Rs 25,000 but after recording the video she felt uncomfortable and refused to shoot. She was convinced by the man who played the lead actor and Rova's friend, Pratibha. She was told that she will gradually become comfortable and that she will be a big name. Then the shoot began.

Also read: Raj Kundra spent lakhs on advertising HotShots app: Mumbai Crime Branch

Scolded for being shy

As per the script, the woman was to be a ‘bartanwali' (utensil vendor) and ring the male lead's doorbell. The man then took her inside his bedroom. The woman became uncomfortable during shooting and was told by Rova, "You didn't have a boyfriend? Why are you being so shy? Are we asking you to have sex?" The woman resumed work and finished the scene after which she was told to undress completely for the next scene. This scene, she was told, did not involve having intercourse. But the woman did not want to be nude, to which Rova responded with a threat, "Now all this has been done. If you do not have to do the next thing, then I will file a case against you for breaking the contract. I will take the money spent on the shooting from you. I see who gives you work in the film."

One of the arrested accused in Killa court on February 10. File pic

"After the threat, I agreed to do the scene after practising intimate scenes a few times while being half-naked. In the middle of this, women and men in plain clothes came into the room and said they are the police and the shooting stopped," the woman said in her statement.

Saw Instagram, FB ad

The second complainant, a 20-year-old, has a similar work profile. During the lockdown, she was not getting any work and was running out of money. On 10 January this year, she saw an advertisement on Instagram and Facebook for an acting assignment in web series. The ads had listed contact numbers. The woman contacted the number and was contacted by someone named Naresh a few days later. He told her to come for the shoot of a web series to be held in Madh. She was offered R10,000 daily. Naresh picked the woman up near Malad station and took her to a house in Madh. There she was told that the series belonged to Vasisth and was taken to the makeup room.

The woman was told that she'd be playing a queen and that there would be a kind, or raja, and three others. The story was apparently about a king and a queen. Initially, the shoot involved scenes shot in the garden outside the bungalow. Then Vasisth took the woman inside the hall in the bungalow where the next scene was to be shot.

The scene involved three people telling the woman that they had been waiting for her to turn 18, drag her into another room and take turns raping her. During the process, the woman objected to the scene but was threatened by Vasisth into working.

After the scene, the woman was dressing up in the makeup room when Vasisth visited her. The woman again objected to the work to which Vasisth responded saying Rs 10 lakh had been spent on the web series and if she refused to work, she'd have to pay the damages. Vasisth then took the woman back to the room for the next scene where she had to get perform intimate scenes with Akash, who was playing the king's role. When the woman was leaving, Vasisth warned the woman to not reveal the details of the shoot to anyone. The film was uploaded by Vasistha on Nuefliks. The woman was paid Rs 10,000 for the film. The money was transferred to her father's account.

In her statement to the police, the woman said, "The accused made me work in a porn film against my wishes. When I refused to work, they demanded R10 lakh as damages. Then they defamed me by uploading the film on a website."

Over 100 such films

A Mumbai police officer told mid-day that the accused have made over 100 porn films in this way and uploaded them on platforms. "Whoever has been exploited in this manner can record their statement with us. At present, some victims are in touch with Mumbai police and their statements will be recorded."