Rape allegations against Chennai Express producer Karim Morani on Thursday resurfaced in the wake of India's #MeToo movement. Morani was booked on charges of rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, and cheating in January last year.
A Delhi-based aspiring actress had alleged that Morani raped her on the pretext of marrying her. She alleged that Morani took her nude pictures and videos and sexually exploited her by threatening to post the same on social media.
Now in an interview with the Republic, the actress has recounted her ordeal of how Morani would physically and mentally harass her.
The actress shifted to Mumbai in 2014 and knew Morani’s family. It was in 2015, when Morani came over to her place with a bottle of wine and forced her to drink.
"Next thing I know, I wake up at 4am. I was numb and shocked. Physically and mentally, I was in a state of shock. Karim was not there. I saw there were marks on my body when I woke up,” she recounted.
“I found the courage and called him next day. I confronted him and asked him - what did you do to me? I told him I'd call his wife and brother. He just laughed over the phone. Can't forget that laughter. I felt helpless. I was 21,” the actress continued.
She revealed that later Morani started blackmailing her by saying, "I'll get you killed by the underworld."
She further said that Morani allegedly harassed her several times afterwards using her pictures as a ploy.
“The after effects were that I stopped talking to people, stopped working, became a recluse. It wasn't just one time. He came over a couple of times more. It was 12th Sept 2015 and he calls me and says I want you to come here. I was scared he'd circulate my nude pictures to family. He sneaked me into the room. He didn't even let me leave."
She further said later in 2015, Morani called her to Hyderabad Ramoji Film City during the shoot of Dilwale. When she said she couldn't come, Morani threatened her to circulate her pictures.
"He calls me and says I want you to come over here. I said I cannot as I had my family over. He threatened me that he would circulate the pictures and send it to my family. I lied and had to go for a day and I went. He did not let me get out of the room and sneaked me in. It was on the top floor and the rooms were not aligned, it was always like zig zag. He told me the opposite side was Shah Rukh (Khan) and the other side was Varun Dhawan and there was Rohit Shetty on the other side."
The accuser also went on to say "how people like Shah Rukh Khan could work with him," adding she doesn't want to drag the actor into this, "but how can such an icon work with this 2G accused and support a man like this."
"Nobody spoke out about me or backed me up. How can top actors like SRK work with him?”
Morani, who has also produced Shah Rukh's Ra.One and Happy New Year, was also accused in the 2G spectrum scam. He was accused of helping channel funds to the tune of Rs 200 crore to popular Tamil television channel Kalaignar TV.
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