Subhash Ghai accused of rape, Sajid Khan of sexual harassment

By: Express News Service | Mumbai | Published: October 12, 2018 4:11:13 am

Subhash Ghai, Sajid Khan

MORE shocking revelations were made on social media on Thursday when filmmaker Subhash Ghai was accused of rape, with an anonymous woman alleging that he spiked her drink and then sexually assaulted her. The producer-director has “strictly and firmly” denied this allegation.

In another development, actor Saloni Chopra, who was seen in Race 3, accused writer-director Sajid Khan of sexual harassment when she worked as his assistant. She also alleged that she was subjected to physical abuse when she was in a relationship with actor Zain Durrani and accused film director Vikas Bahl of “sexist” behaviour.

The anonymous account of alleged abuse by Ghai was shared on Twitter by writer Mahima Kukreja, who was one of the first women to accuse comedian Utsav Chakraborty of sexual harassment last week.

READ | Subhash Ghai denies allegation

The woman recounted that when she worked with Ghai on a film years ago, he would often call her for script sessions at his apartment. He once forcefully kissed her but tried to pacify her the next day by calling the incident a “lovers tiff”, she alleged. Even though she told the first assistant director and two other women about the incident, she did not take any action as she had no job or financial security at that time, she said.

She said that once after a late music session, Ghai decided to have a drink and offered one to her while he was dropping her home in the car. Saying that the drink “was spiked”, the woman said she remembers being taken to a hotel room and assaulted before she lost consciousness.

Ghai said in a statement, “As I hear some allegation made against me in the air from section of media. Its very sad that its becoming a fashion to malign anyone known, bringing some stories from past without any truth or half-truth, if at all. I deny strictly and firmly all false allegations like these.” The 73- year old added, “I will go for defamation certainly.”

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Following the allegations by Chopra, journalist Karishma Upadhyay shared her account of Khan allegedly indulging in dirty talks and exposing himself when she had gone to his sisters house to interview him. She alleged that he even forcibly kissed her. Later on, he allegedly body-shamed her when they were working on an MTV project.

Calls to Sajid Khan went unanswered.