Kannada filmmaker-actor BI Hemant Kumar arrested for ‘sexual harassment, cheating’ actress

Kannada filmmaker BI Hemanth Kumar was arrested in Bengaluru on Tuesday for alleged sexual harassment, cheating and criminal intimidation.

According to an India Today report, the arrest was made based on a complaint filed by a television actor and reality show winner at the Rajajinagar Police Station.

The actress has accused the actor-director of exploiting her under the pretext of offering her a movie.

Here's what the actress said in the complaint:

According to the complaint, Hemanth allegedly approached the actress in 2022 and promised her a role in a movie. The movie's title remains unconfirmed, with NDTV referring to it as 3 and India Today referring to it as Richie.

The actress claimed that an agreement was signed between the two for a remuneration of ₹2 lakh, with the actress receiving an advance of ₹60,000. However, she said, Hemanth delayed shooting and began harassing her, insisting that she wear revealing clothes and perform obscene scenes.

In the report, she also claimed that Hemanth touched her inappropriately and harassed her during a promotional trip to Mumbai. She also alleged that the behaviour did not stop on set and continued elsewhere as well.

“When she resisted, Hemanth allegedly threatened her by sending rowdies,” alleged the actress in a portion of her complaint.

Bengaluru police said that such threats “created a sense of fear for the complainant's safety and well-being.”

Financial misconduct & more charges added

In addition to the alleged harassment, the actress accused Hemanth of financial misconduct and unauthorised use of her images. The Sandalwood star has been accused of issuing a cheque that bounced and uploading uncensored scenes from the movie on social media without her consent.

The actress said that she had approached the Film Chamber and reportedly completed mediation, but Hemanth still continued to harass and intimidate her.

2023 was no better, said the actress, claiming that the harassment continued and accused him of spiking her drink, filming her in an inebriated state and later using the video to blackmail her.

Hemanth also allegedly sent goons to threaten her and her mother.

She reportedly approached the Bengaluru City Civil Court, which granted an interim injunction restraining Hemanth from uploading videos. However, she claimed that he violated the order and continued to post the defamatory content.

Hemanth has been arrested and produced before the court, where he has been remanded to judicial custody.