Kolkata club molestation suspect contacts police, says ‘was present but not involved’

The allegations stem from a woman’s claim that she was sexually abused and her family attacked by Junaid and a group of people at the Playboy Club in Kolkata earlier this week. No arrests have been made so far.

According to police, Nasir Khan was at the club with Junaid, but his claims are still under investigation. The probe has allegedly found that the suspect and the victim knew each other and met at the hotel for “some discussions.”

Police have retrieved CCTV footage from the club and are probing what an officer described as a “complex set of allegations and counter-claims.” “We will record statements of both victim and accused soon,” the officer said.

In her complaint, the woman alleged she was sexually harassed and assaulted in the early hours of Sunday while at the nightclub with her husband, brother, and friends.

The FIR names Junaid Khan and Nasir Khan, alleging that they and their group “physically assaulted and attempted to sexually abuse” her, and that when her brother intervened, he was attacked with glass bottles. It further states that Junaid summoned “around 20 boys” who attacked them, blocked the doors, and “started pushing me and touching me in a very bad way.” The woman said she hid in the hotel’s liquor room for nearly 30 minutes before police found her.

She also alleged receiving death threats, claiming the suspects invoked “their previous involvement in the Park Street rape case” to intimidate her.

The suspects have been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for voluntarily causing hurt, criminal force, assault, and solitary confinement.

In a statement, the club categorically denied “physical assault of any kind” on the club premises. “The dispute was an internal disagreement among those guests, entirely unrelated to club operations, staff conduct, or management practices. Crucially, the club confirms that no physical assault of any kind took place during the incident. The incident occurred briefly during closing hours and was contained within minutes, without causing any injuries or disruption to other guests or hotel operations,” the statement by Rohit Malhotra, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Playboy Venues India — which owns the club — said.

The club’s CCTV footage and internal incident reports “clearly establish that the situation originated and concluded entirely within that group, and that security personnel responded swiftly and effectively to resolve the matter”, the club claimed.

“All relevant video footage, incident logs, and staff statements have been submitted to the authorities, who have reviewed the material and found no evidence of any misconduct by club staff or management. we deeply regret that an isolated dispute among a few guests has been misrepresented as a reflection on our establishment,” the statement said.

It added: “We operate under strict brand and hotel safety protocols, maintaining the highest standards of hospitality, transparency, and guest care. The safety and comfort of our patrons will always remain our top priority. All relevant video evidence and internal reports have been submitted to the concerned authorities.”

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