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Famous Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty's son Mahaakshay has been accused of allegedly raping and harassing a woman. Chakraborty's case has stirred a controversy. But this isn't the first time a Bollywood celebrity has come under the scanner for rape and harassment charges. Several big names in the industry too have faced similar allegations. Here is a list of eleven popular Bollywood names that have in the past faced charges of sexual harassment.
Some of the most respected names in the industry like Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna and Om Puri are also on this list.
Jeetendra Kapoor
A cousin of veteran Bollywood actor Jeetendra filed a complaint with the Shimla police against him stating that he sexually assaulted her. The complaint was filed in March 2018 and the woman said the incident happened 47 years ago. The actor has denied all charges saying it is only an attempt to malign his image.
Ali Zafar
Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi accused singer and actor Ali Zafar of allegedly harassing her sexually on multiple occasions. She took to Twitter to share her experience as a part of the #MeToo movement, which has encouraged many women to come out and speak about their experience of facing sexual violence. Zafar also took to twitter to deny all claims made by Shafi.
Shiney Ahuja
While Shiney Ahuja was gradually gaining popularity in the industry, he was slapped by rape charges by his maid. The actor’s career went for a toss. The woman however later retracted the charge but the court refused to accept it and convicted Ahuja with 7 years of imprisonment. After several hearings, Ahuja was granted bail by the Bombay High Court and the woman prosecuted for perjury. Ahuja made a comeback in Bollywood in 2015.
Om Puri
Late actor Om Puri had a great career in Bollywood and has his named etched in the list of the most revered Bollywood actors. However his personal life remained disturbed. He had two broken marriages and his second wife Nandita also accused him of assaulting her. A charge sheet was filed against the veteran actor in a domestic violence case in 2014. The couple later separated. In his biography, his wife Nandita also mentioned his affair with his maid which he responded to harshly.
Rajesh Khanna
Popularly known as Bollywood’s first superstar, Rajesh Khanna was accused of sexually harassing his live-in partner Anita Advani. She claimed that she was in her teens, in awe of the actor and too young to understand what happened to her. Khanna allegedly groped and kissed her.
Karim Morani
Popular film producer Karim Morani also faced sexual assault charges by a Delhi-based woman. The Hyderabad police registered a case against him for allegedly raping her several times. Initially Morani denied her claims but surrendered to the police after the Supreme Court refused to give him an anticipatory bail.
Dibaker Banerjee
Critically acclaimed film director Dibaker Banerjeee was accused by actress Payal Rohtagi of sexually harassing her while auditioning for the 2012 film Shanghai. Banerjee however denied her claims. There was no official complaint filed either.
Madhur Bhandarkar
Popular for making woman-centric films like Fashion, Heroine and Page 3, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar also faced charges of raping model Preeti Jain. In 2004, she filed a complaint alleging that she was raped by the filmmaker multiple times between the period of 1999 and 2004. She produced text messages as an evidence in which he has reportedly asked her for sexual favours. However, later in 2012, the Supreme Court passed an order squashing the criminal proceeding since Preeti Jain didn’t want to pursue the case any further.
Aditya Pancholi
Actor Aditya Pancholi has two cases of sexual harassment against him. Actress Kangana Ranaut, whom he was also allegedly dating, accused him of sexual assault. In a television interview, she revealed that while they were a couple during her initial years in the industry, Pancholi used to beat her up. Pancholi was also accused of raping his ex-girlfriend and actress Pooja Bedi’s 15-year old maid. He was proven guilty in the case but acquired a bail.
Irrfan Khan
One of the most critically acclaimed actors of contemporary Bollywood, Irrfan Khan too doesn't have a clean record in his personal life. The popular actor was accused of allegedly asking actress Mamta Patel of sexual favours under the pretext of promising her roles in future Bollywood films.
Mahmood Farooqui
Co-director of the famous India satirical film Peepli Live, Mahmood Farooqui was accused of sexually harassing an America-based research scholar. In 2015 he was sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment. However, later he was acquitted of all the charges in a controversial judgement that stated that a 'feeble no' can be taken as consent.
Bollywood is extremely significant to India and the stars play a major role in shaping and inspiring the masses. They should understand their position better and must act in a more responsible manner. No matter how big a star or how many good deeds a man has done, a record of disrespectful behaviour with women easily washes away all his other virtues after all.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2018 03:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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