TV serial actor held for sexually harassing actress

Bengaluru: Karnataka Police arrested famous Kannada TV serial actor Charith Balappa on charges of sexually harassing and blackmailing a young actress over her private vid-eos on Friday.

The Rajarajeshwari Nagar Police arrested the actor following a complaint against him by a 29-year-old actress. The police have registered the FIR against him under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt to another person), 308(2) (extortion as the act of using threats, fear, or intimidation to force someone to give away property, money), 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(2) (crimi-nal intimidation), 75(1)(i) (sexual harassment), 75(1)(ii) R/w 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.DCP (West) S. Girish stated on Friday that the crime took place between 2023 and 2024 and the victim came forward to lodge a police complaint on December 13. DCP stated, “The complainant, who has been acting in Kannada and Telugu serials since 2017, became acquainted with the accused in 2023.

The accused insisted on being in a romantic relationship with the complainant and subjected her to mental harass-ment, death threats, and threats of murder.”

The accused demanded physical intimacy from the complainant, taking advantage of the fact that she lived alone, the DCP stated. The DCP further said that the accused, along with his associates, frequently caused disturbances near the complainant’s res-idence, pressuring her to engage in a physical relationship with him.The accused further threatened that if she did not comply with his financial demands, he would share explicit videos and photos of her engaging in sexual acts on all social media platforms and in WhatsApp groups that include actors and actresses.

The complainant has filed this case against the accused based on these allegations and associated threats, DCP Girish stated. The victim has alleged that the accused Charith Balappa, taking undue advantage of his acquaintance, had forced her into a physical relationship. The victim told police that he blackmailed her if she failed to fulfil his demands, she would be defamed.

The victim has alleged that the accused used his connections with powerful people including politicians, and rowdies and threatened that he could get her behind bars whenever he wants.

She further alleged that the accused divorcee also gave her life threats and told her that he could finish her off, police sources stated.