Kannada actress alleges sexual harassment; director Hemanth Kumar BI behind bars

Bengaluru: The Rajajinagar police have arrested Kannada actor-director Hemanth Kumar BI, 33, on charges of sexually harassing a 29-year-old television actress.

According to the complaint filed by the actress, who has appeared in multiple television serials, Hemanth, a resident of Health Layout in Nagarabhavi, had approached her in 2022, introducing himself as a producer and associate director.

He promised her the lead role in his upcoming film 'Richie' and signed an agreement with her on April 30, 2022, offering a remuneration of Rs 2 lakh.

However, the actress alleged that the shoot was repeatedly postponed under the pretext of personal reasons. During this period, she claimed, Hemanth began harassing her. He allegedly made inappropriate physical advances and pressured her to wear revealing outfits for certain scenes.

She further alleged that during a promotional event for the film in Mumbai on August 5, 2023, Hemanth attempted to force her to consume alcohol. When she refused, he allegedly spiked her juice. After she began feeling dizzy, he is said to have recorded videos of her in a vulnerable state. The footage was later allegedly edited and used to blackmail her.

The complaint also stated that Hemanth sent his associates to threaten her and her mother, causing mental distress.

Following these incidents, the actress approached the Bengaluru City Civil Court, seeking a permanent injunction against Hemanth and social media platforms to prevent the circulation of the videos.

The court granted an interim order restraining the publication or sharing of the content, according to a statement from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).

Hemanth was arrested on Sunday and has been remanded to judicial custody. He has been booked under IPC sections 354A (sexual harassment) and 354D (stalking).