Filmmaker Shakeel Noorani Arrested in Mumbai After Aspiring Actor Alleges Rape

Bollywood filmmaker Shakeel Noorani has been arrested after a 33-year-old aspiring actor accused him of rape, intimidation and causing her miscarriage, police officials said.

The 73-year-old filmmaker, known for directing films including Joru Ka Ghulam and Bade Dilwala, was traced to his farmhouse in Mahabaleshwar, more than 200 km from Mumbai, on Saturday, nearly 40 days after the woman lodged her complaint.

According to the complaint, the woman alleged that Noorani sexually assaulted her repeatedly over a period of four years. She said he had invited her to his residence in Mumbai's Malvani area on the pretext of discussing the script of an upcoming film.

The woman alleged that her drink was spiked during the meeting and that she was sexually assaulted after losing consciousness. She further claimed that Noorani showed her an intimate video recorded on his mobile phone and threatened to circulate it if she approached the police or informed her family.

Police said the woman alleged that the purported video was subsequently used to intimidate her and that the accused sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. She also alleged that he gave her contraceptive pills following an assault and later poisoned her, resulting in a miscarriage.

After the FIR was registered, Noorani allegedly went into hiding. Police searched locations including his son's residence in Lokhandwala, Andheri, but were unable to find him.

Investigators eventually traced him to his Mahabaleshwar farmhouse using technical inputs. He was brought back to Mumbai and arrested, the police official said.

Noorani has been booked under sections 64(2)(m), 123, 88 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to rape, causing hurt by poison, causing miscarriage and criminal intimidation.

He was produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody until August 12.

The allegations are part of the complaint and remain subject to investigation and due legal process.