#MeToo India: Chennai Express producer accused of sexual assault, rape

With #MeToo in India bringing down several bigwigs in Bollywood, Chennai Express producer Karim Morani has also been accused of sexual assault.

According to an account shared by a hopeful actor in the Indian capital of New Delhi, she had been drugged, raped and threatened at the hands of the producer.

“Morani came home around 7pm with a bottle of wine. I didn’t drink but he forced me to drink. Next thing I know, I wake up at 4 am. I was numb and shocked. Physically and mentally, I was in a state of shock. Karim was not there. I saw there were marks on my body when I woke up.”

The actor who had known the Morani family when she started residing in Mumbai in 2014 to chase her dream of acting was 21 at the time and upon her confronting him about the episode, threats were hurled her way along with persistent stalking.

“Morani told me he clicked my pictures. He said if you try and call anyone, I’ll get you killed by the underworld. Morani was linked to the underworld. He called me again in October 2015. He wanted me to go to Ramoji City. He would blackmail me saying he’d get me eliminated by the underworld. I don’t doubt that he’s influential. I’ve seen it that he’s influential and I know he could have eliminated me,” she added further.

The accuser had registered a complaint against Morani back in 2017 in Hyderabad on charges of rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and cohabitation but had to endure ample piercing threats.

Continuing further about the man who is presently out on bail with an ongoing court case, the woman stated: “He’s over 60 and I'm younger than his youngest daughter. He spoilt my life, my dream. He crushed me. I continue to face threats. Till date when he comes to court, he stares me down and intimidates me.”

Moreover she questioned how an acclaimed and esteemed actor like Shah Rukh Khan could be on friendship terms with him saying: "I don’t want to drag SRK into this but how can such an icon work with him and support a man like this. Nobody spoke out about me or backed me up. How can top actors like SRK work with him?”