Mumbai: Bhojpuri actress gangraped, cameraman held

A Mira Road-based Bhojpuri actress was recently gang-raped by a singer and a cameraman after she was offered a drink laced with sedative. On Friday last, the Oshiwara police had registered a case in this regard and arrested the cameraman, while the singer is still at large, sources said. The arrested 31-year- old cameraman has been identified as Abhay Tiwari.

According to the police, the 28-year-old victim resides with her husband and two children in Mira Road. The victim had acted in some Bhojpuri albums. A year ago, she had come in contact with Alam, a singer, and they worked together for an album. Alam has an office in the Adarsh Nagar area of Jogeshwari where Tiwari works as a cameraman. "Around 6 PM on August 17, Tiwari called her up and told her to come to Alam's office saying that two Hindi songs had to be shot for which she would be given a good amount. The victim then reached Goregaon station from where Tiwari picked her up on his motorcycle and they reached Alam's office around 8 PM," said an officer from Oshiwara police station.

He added that for some time they discussed about money. "As per the victim's complaint, after some time, while Tiwari and she took cold drinks, Alam had a breezer. She alleged that the cold drink offered to her was laced with sedative and after consuming it, she started feeling giddy. She remembered that the duo took her to a room and took turns to rape her. On gaining consciousness, she fled from the spot and reached home," said the officer.

The victim narrated her ordeal to her husband the next day. "On Friday, they lodged a police complaint against Tiwari and Alam. Tiwari was then picked up from a Goregaon flat. He was produced before a local court and was remanded in police custody. Meanwhile, the victim was sent to Cooper Hospital for medical examination and her report is still awaited. Alam is absconding after the incident and efforts are on to trace him," said the officer.