FIR against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap after actress alleges rape

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has been indicted for rape in a police case in Mumbai on the basis of a complaint lodged by an actress who had accused him of forcing himself on her in a tweet on Saturday. Anurag Kashyap, who has brushed off her allegations as "baseless", has received support from many stars in the film industry.

As maintained by Mumbai Police, a rape case was registered against Kashyap late last night after the actress and her legal representative Nitin Satpute broach the matter to the Versova police station. "Finally FIR has been lodged against accused for the offence rape, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement and outraging modesty of woman," Satpute wrote.

The victim’s statement is being recorded, the police stated, further adding that she has accused Kashyap of raping in 2013. The filmmaker will be summoned for questioning in this connection, a police official told PTI.

Earlier, after the actress tagged the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) seeking action against the filmmaker, National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma had responded saying  that the actor "may send me the detailed complaint".

In a series of tweets, Anurag Kashyap had stated that these were an "attempt to silence" him, and later issued a statement through his lawyer Priyanka Khimani saying that he has been profoundly aggrieved by the claims, which are "false, malicious and dishonest" and that he intends to take legal action.

Anurag Kashyap, in a statement, stated that the allegations against him simply subverts the gravity of the #MeToo movement, which hit the film industry on 2019.

The actress told ABN Telugu that he named three actresses as being "just a call away." She claimed she told Anurag Kashyap in response, "You have given a chance to Richa Chadha, Mahie Gill, Huma Qureshi... they are so nominal looking girls. Generally directors don't give them chance but you have done a great job. But I am not mentally prepared for this right now."

While another acterss Richa Chadha has sent a legal notice to the actress, Huma Qureshi has responded saying that the comments made her extremely annoyed and that to the best of her knowledge, Anurag Kashyap never behaved inappropriately with anyone.

The filmmaker also got support from several Bollywood stars, including ex-wives Kalki Koechlin and Aarti Bajaj.

However, actor Kangana Ranaut, who has been involved  in war of words with the Maharashtra government in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, supported the actress saying Anurag Kashyap is "very much capable".

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