The Oshiwara (Bombay) police this week registered a case against television actor Karan Oberoi for allegedly raping an astrologer under the pretext of marrying her. The victim has alleged that the accused recorded a video on his cellphone after sedating her and later extorted money from her. The police arrested Karan on 5th May and produced him in a magistrate court at Andheri in Bombay on 6th. The court sent him to police custody till May 9. The magistrate court on 9th sent him to 14 days’ judicial custody. Karan’s lawyers moved a bail application on 10th. In his bail application, Karan pointed out that the entire case of the alleged victim was false. To prove his point, the actor referred to the text messages exchanged between Karan and the astrologer. He also referred to the astrologer’s recent media interview in which she never alleged what she has mentioned in the FIR. Karan blamed her for seducing him and added that he had often in the past blocked her phone number but she had managed to touch base with him by calling him from different numbers. He described their relationship as consensual.
As per the FIR, registered by the victim, she met the accused through a dating application in October 2016, and he promised to marry her. She alleged that one day, the accused offered her coconut water in his house, after drinking which she felt dizzy. She alleged that he then raped her and also recorded the act on his mobile phone. She also said, he used the video to blackmail her and extort money from her. Furthermore, he is alleged to have kept ignoring her requests for marriage.
Karan Oberoi was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code for rape, extortion, threatening and causing hurt by means of poison. On their part, Karan’s friends and members of his erstwhile music band, ‘Band Of Boys’, are rallying behind him and they called a press conference at Pooja Bedi’s house on 7th May. They described Karan as a chivalrous man and said, the victim had lied about Karan raping her, with a view to tarnishing his reputation.