Mumbai: Three days after British singer-actress Sofia Hayat filed a complaint against actor Armaan Kohli for allegedly assaulting her during their stay at a Lonavla-based bungalow while filming the reality show, Bigg Boss, the police on Monday arrested Kohli on charges of sexual harassment.
Although the Santacruz Police had initially booked Kohli for assault, the Lonavla city police added charges of sexual harassment against the actor.
Vishnu Pawar, inspector, Lonavla city police said, “We obtained the CCTV footage of the bungalow and upon scanning it, we could verify Hayat’s allegations. Kohli was subsequently arrested on Monday night.”
A week after being evicted from the reality show, last Thursday, Hayat and her lawyer had approached the Santacruz police and lodged a complaint against Kohli.
Hayat, in her statement to the Santacruz police, accused Kohli of using words and gestures that outraged her modesty and assaulting her during stay in the Bigg Boss house.
The Santacruz police had booked Kohli for assault and transferred the complaint to Lonavla city police, who have added sexual harassment charges.
The Santacruz Police had booked Kohli under sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Lonavla Police further added IPC sections 294 (obscene acts and songs), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 354 a (sexual harassment) in the complaint against Kohli.
Responding to the arrest, the Pakistani-origin actress said: “People told me I am doing this for publicity. But I say violence against women isn’t a joke. I don’t need publicity as I am doing well in life. People said nothing would come of it, but I had faith in the system.”
Hayat said she plans to sue Colors TV channel as her contract, which states that she would not be harmed physically, was violated.
