The complainant claimed that the music and film producer had sexually exploited her on the pretext of hiring her for a project.
T-Series head Bhushan Kumar accused of rape, firm rubbishes allegation in statement
Mumbai - 16 Jul 2021 17:16 IST
Updated : 17:57 IST
Our Correspondent
The Mumbai police lodged a first information report (FIR) last evening naming T-Series chairman and managing director Bhushan Kumar, son of the late music baron Gulshan Kumar, for allegedly raping a 30-year-old woman.
The offence was registered at the DN Nagar police station in Andheri (West).
“As per the complaint, Bhushan Kumar allegedly raped the woman on the pretext of providing a job to her in some project of his company," an officer told the Press Trust of India news agency. "The woman said she was cheated by him and hence she approached the police (sic).”
Senior police inspector Milind Kurde told the Hindustan Times newspaper, “We have registered a case under sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.”
T-Series denied the allegation in a statement that reads, 'The complaint filed against Mr Bhushan Kumar is completely false and malicious and the contents of the same are denied.
'It has been falsely alleged that the lady in question was sexually exploited between 2017 to 2020 on the pretext of giving her work. It is a matter of record that she has already worked for T-Series banner in film and music videos.'
The record label and film production company claimed that the complainant wanted the firm to come on board for a web show of hers. 'Around March 2021 she approached Mr Bhushan Kumar seeking help to fund one of the web-series which she wanted to produce, which was politely refused,' the statement continued. 'Thereafter, in June 2021, after the lifting of lockdown in Maharashtra, she started approaching T-Series banner in collusion with her accomplice demanding a huge sum of money as extortion amount.
'Consequently, a complaint was filed by T-Series banner against the attempted extortion at the Amboli police station on 1 July 2021. We also have evidence in the form of audio recording for the extortion attempt and the same shall be provided to [an] investigating agency.
'The present complaint filed by her is nothing but a counter blast to the complaint filed against her and her accomplice for the offence of extortion,' the statement read.
The statement also said T-Series will take "appropriate legal action".
