Hyderabad: The Rachakonda police has registered a case of rape against Bollywood producer and 2G scam accused Karim Morani following a complaint by a 24-year-old Delhi woman.
The woman, a BBA graduate and a friend of Morani’s daughter, said that she and Morani had come to Hyderabad in September 2015 and stayed together in hotels and in Ramoji Film City, where the rape occurred. She said in her complaint that Morani had lured her promising to marry her. He took her on a tour to Hyderabad and stayed with her. Later he went back on his word. The woman also alleged that Morani threatened to harm her if she revealed the incident to anybody.
Morani, the co-producer of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Dilwale, had stayed with the woman in Mumbai also. “The victim said that she was scared to go to the Mumbai police since Morani is a highly influential figure in Mumbai. Since the rape has taken place here also, she came here and lodged a complaint,” said a police officer from LB Nagar Zone.
“We have registered a case against him (Morani) under IPC sections 376 (rape) 493 (cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage), 417 (cheating) and 354 B (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to disrobe),” said LB Nagar Zone DCP Tafseer Iqubal.
Though the incident happened one-and-a-half years ago, the victim approached the police only this week. She said she was suffering from depression and was scared of Morani and that’s why she didn’t lodge the complaint earlier. “I still fear to go to Mumbai because he is influential,” she told police.
When contacted by The Asian Age, Morani’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said on his behalf, “The complaint is absolutely false and bogus with the sole intention of tarnishing Mr Morani's reputation and image. Mr Morani will be taking appropriate steps in accordance with law to demonstrate that complaint is mala fide.”
