Veteran Bollywood actor Jeetendra is facing allegations of a sexually harassing a woman claiming to be his cousin, almost five decades ago.
According to reports, police in Himachal Pradesh said they had received two-page complaint seeking registration of an FIR against him for a case of “sexual assault”.
According to the complainant’s counsel, global campaign against sexual harrasment #MeToo encouraged her to speak against the abuse. Jeetendra, whose real name is Ravi Kapoor, is the son of the victim’s father’s sister.
The woman said that the alleged assault occurred in January 1971 when she (then 18) shared a hotel room with him (then 28).
The victim describes her ordeal in the police complaint
Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, representing Jeetendra, questioned the timing of the “baseless complaint.”
He said, “Foremost my client categorically denies any such incident. Even otherwise such baseless, ridiculous and fabricated claims cannot be entertained by any court or police after a span of almost 50 years.”
The allegation comes amid the #MeToo campaign as part of which women have come out about facing sexual abuse at the hands of powerful men.
While several ladies have accused Hollywood’s powerful men, the Hindi film industry – while admitting the prevalence of abuse – have not named and shamed anyone openly.
Jeetendra, now 75, is one of the Hindi film industry’s A-listers. He is also a producer, and father to Ekta Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor with wife Shobhaa. He is also a grandfather to a baby boy Laksshya Kapoor, who Tusshar welcomed through surrogacy.
