The Wanowrie police have arrested Ashok Sitaram Londhe, a distributor of Marathi films, on charges of molesting Nikhat B

Producer used nude pictures for blackmailing actor into marrying him

Victim's mother accuses producer of using nude pictures for blackmailing actor into marrying him

The Wanowrie police have arrested Ashok Sitaram Londhe, a distributor of Marathi films, on charges of molesting Nikhat B (name changed). The aspiring actor's dream came crashing when the producer tried to molest her and threatened to publish her nude pictures if she didn't agree to marry him. Nikhatu00a0 finally lodged a complaint at the Wanowrie police station when his advances became difficult to handle.

Respectable people
The victim's mother who is still under shock told MiD DAY, "Londhe had offered my daughter a role in a Marathi film which he was producing. But we were forced to lodge a complaint because he started harassing us. We are from a respectable family and have not dealt with a situation like this before."

Senior PI Shivaji Kanse said, "Londhe, who is also a builder, has a reputation of harassing women and was arrested in a rape case in 2007. He has tried to take undue advantage of girls in the past as well."

Blank letter
Incidentally, the victim's mother had invested in a plot of land through Londhe. Kanse added, "As he got to know the family better, he insisted that the victim take up a job as accounts manager at his firm in Camp. On the pretext of giving her an appointment letter, Londhe allegedly took her signature on blank letterhead."

According to a statement given by the girl, Londhe misbehaved with her in September last year after which she quit his firm. But Londhe set up the girl in a forgery case for which she was arrested and released on bail.

The producer continued harassing the girl with morphed nude pictures, and tried to force her to marry him. Londhe was produced at the session court and has been remanded to police custody for two days.