Mumbai Crime: 9 high-profile men booked for rape, molestation of model

FIR filed against Bollywood photographer Colston Julian, Kwan Entertainment founder Anirban Blah, actor Jackky Bhagnani, Krishan Kumar of T-series

Bandra police have filed an FIR in connection with a complaint of rape and molestation filed earlier this month by a model-turned-independent artist and songwriter. They have booked nine high-profile people in the case.

Bollywood photographer Colston Julian, founder of talent management company Kwan Entertainment Anirban Blah, actor Jackky Bhagnani and Krishan Kumar of T-series are among the accused named in the FIR.

“Police have registered an FIR after so many days of submitting my complaint letter against the high-profile people, but none of them have been arrested yet,” the woman told mid-day.

The woman had, on May 10, approached Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone 10, Dr Maheshwar Reddy, who directed an officer at Andheri police station to record her statement. Her statement was recorded on May 18 and the matter was forwarded to Zone 9 DCP office in Bandra, as most incidents of alleged sexual abuse on her had taken place in its jurisdiction during 2012-2019.

Also Read: #MeToo: Mumbai model who claimed abuse over years gets threats from accused

mid-day was first to highlight the woman’s mental trauma as her application was moving at a snail’s pace. In a social media post she had shared that after filing a police complaint, “I started to get death threats from one of the accused.”

The investigating officer has recorded a detailed statement of the survivor. The FIR was registered under Sections 376 (n) (commits rape repeatedly on the same woman) and 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code on May 26.

“Why are the police further delaying the arrest of the accused? I have submitted all the pieces of evidence that I have against these accused,” the woman said.

Inspector Sagar Nikam told mid-day that the veracity of allegation levelled against the accused is being verified. “We have registered the FIR based on her complaint. We are in the process of collecting the pieces of evidence that the survivor claims to possess against them. Our investigations are underway.”

The woman also told mid-day, “In a bid to conduct panchmana, one woman police officer took me to the locations where these accused sexually abused me in Mumbai. It seems that Colston Julian has gone underground as his Bandra house was locked and his car was also not there when we visited. Bhagnani is somewhere in foreign land and he is expected to reach Mumbai in September.”  

May 10
Day woman had approached Zone 10 DCP with complaint

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