Item girl accuses producer, financier of molesting her

15 October,2011 07:15 AM IST |   |  Shiva Devnath

Files police complaint against duo, says they threatened to kill her when she did not accept their indecent proposal


Files police complaint against duo, says they threatened to kill her when she did not accept their indecent proposal

A Gujaratiu00a0film actress and item girl, Sapna alias Zareena Shaikh (31), has lodged a complaint of molestation against a film producer and a financier at the Versova police station after the two allegedly tried to rape her.

Sapna has also accused the two of issuing death threats to her.

Sapna alias Zareena Shaikh, who has acted in Gujarati and other regional language films, says Akash Films Entertainment owner Ritesh Kumar Thakur and financier Shiv Pratap Singh molested her at her home


Approached for film
The police said Sapna, who lives in Vinayak building in a MHADA colony opposite the telephone exchange in Andheri (West), was approached for a film by producer Ritesh Kumar Thakur, who owns the Akash Films Entertainment company, and financier Shiv Pratap Singh.

Sapna, who has been working in the film industry for 15 years, called the two over to her residence with the contract that they wished her to sign.

Sapna claimed that initially, on October 7, Thakur had called her to ask her if she could meet Singh in a hotel but she had refused and instead asked the two to see her at her home.

'Compromise'
She alleged that when the two came to meet her, Singh walked over to the sofa and sprawled on it. When Sapna objected to this, Singh allegedly told her she should compromise and have sex with him.

She claimed that when she asked them for tea, Singh made a vulgar remark and asked her to pay heed to his demand. He also touched her inappropriately, said Sapna in her complaint.

Sources said that when the victim started yelling at Singh for his indecent behaviour, Thakur, who was witness to everything, also started cajoling her to give in to the financier's demand, saying it would take her career to new heights.

Phone snatched
An enraged Sapna then threatened to call the police, but the accused allegedly snatched her mobile phone and told her that she should not resort to such an action as the casting couch was quite normal in the film industry.

"When I tried making a call to the police control room from another phone, the accused, sensing trouble, fled," said Sapna.

The complainant further alleged that Singh later called her over the phone and threatened her.

Sapna approached the Versova police on Friday, after consulting her fianc ufffd and parents, who encouraged her to lodge the complaint.

"We have lodged a complaint against Thakur and Singh for molesting the actress," said Senior Police Inspector Sharad Borse of the Versova police station.

Death threat
Sapna said before leaving her home Thakur and Singh threatened her that she would be killed if she ever set foot in Bihar; Sapna also acts in Bhojpuri films, parts of which are often shot in Bihar.

"I have been working in the film industry for 15 years and have never compromised. It was shocking that these two had the guts to molest me," said Sapna.
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Gujarati film actress item girl Sapna Zareena Shaikh complaint molestation rape