A managing director of a lifestyle and entertainment channel has been booked under charges of rape, molestation and criminal intimidation for allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulting a woman who works in the same channel. The woman told the police that she met the MD at a hotel here in November 2020, where he allegedly misbehaved with her for the first time and apologised later in a text message, blaming his behaviour on alcohol. "On February 11, the three including the MD and his secretary had gone to Goa for work. The three were seated in a hotel room, when the managing director appointed his secretary some work, due to which she left the room, after which he came from behind and groped her," she said in her statement. The woman then left the room. In her statement, the woman listed multiple incidents of sexual assault. On February 20 this year, she was allegedly lured to a five-star hotel on her weekly off day on the pretext of work. According to the FIR, the accused allegedly raped her in a suite and claimed to have recorded the act. He allegedly threatened to make the video public if she disclosed the incident to anyone. The following day, the woman said, she called the accused at 10 am and requested him to delete the video. The MD called her to the hotel again on the pretext of returning the videos and photos, and allegedly raped her again. "The accused threatened her that if she lodges any complaint against him, then he would show the video to her family members," said an officer. The police said that on March 4, a case under Sections 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 354 (A) (sexual harassment), 354 (D) (stalking) and 509 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and 66 (D) of IT act was registered. However, after a woman police officer was appointed as an investigating officer, the woman was called again for a statement on March 21, and the section of rape was added to the FIR. A senior police officer confirmed that a case of rape has been registered. When contacted, the lawyer of the accused, Satish Maneshinde, said, “We have applied for anticipatory bail and my client has got interim relief from court. I would not want to comment on the matter as the ABA hearing is on April 6.”
