Director, producer force actress to shoot nude scenes

The Malvani police have booked and arrested a web series director and female producer who allegedly sexually abused and forced a 22-year-old model-actress to act in a scene which she found obscene on Wednesday.

The accused were identified as Ravikant Singh (Director) and Shweta Sival (Producer). Both have been booked and arrested by the Malwani police and were produced before the Borivli Metropolitan Magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody. Their advocate had proposed a bail application in front of the court but the court kept the order hearing for Friday.

The 22-year-old model-actress, residing in Andheri, has worked in several TV serials. She came into contact with the accused via one of her male friends who was working as a production creative.

He texted her earlier this month informing her that one of his acquaintances was starting a web series and was looking for an actress for a role.

On June 7, she visited the director at his office in Andheri. The director Ravikant met her and gave her the details of the character she would play in the web series and on June 9, signed a contract agreement with the victim.

According to the victim's statement given to the Malvani police, "Ravikant signed the contract in such a hurry that she did not get a chance to read it properly. But before signing it she verbally informed him and refused to act in any kind of bold or obscene scenes other than kissing.

But when the series began shooting on June 12 at a Madh Island-based bungalow, he forced her to act in several bold and intimate scenes.

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During her 3-day work duration, the director and producer forcibly shot some nude scenes and also asked her to shoot a sex scene with another woman and forced her to get her top off. The female producer also went to the extent of touching her inappropriately on her breasts and asked her to do the same with the other actress.

She further alleged in her statement, that after she stopped going for shoots, the producer reached her home and also left a note stating that she would look for her, send goons to beat her up and send her to jail since she had signed an official contract agreement.

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Post that, the victim approached the local DN Nagar police station to register a complaint against the accused. However, the police refused to register the case as the crime was under the Malvani police station jurisdiction.

"The Malvani police on June 22 recorded her statement and registered the case against the duo (director and the producer) under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), began the investigation and arrested the duo," said another officer.

After arresting the accused, during an interrogation, the police stated that all the information was clearly mentioned in her contract. After she left the shoot, the company lost lakhs of rupees and their lawyer also sent a legal notice to her, but she also the officer added further.