Bollywood hairstylist seeks to nail ‘rapist’ make-up artist
A 34-year-old Bollywood hairstylist has been seeking justice against Atul Kadam (42), a make-up artist who allegedly raped her in 2014 and repeatedly threatened her and then circulated her nude photographs and videos among her family members and colleagues. The anticipatory bail of Kadam was rejected on November 6 and he is absconding since then.
The incident occurred on February 26, 2014, at Kadam’s residence at Nagari Nivas at Kalpataru in Goregaon. The accused allegedly asked the survivor to meet him near his residence and told her that he would pick her up to head for a film shoot together. Later, he informed her that the film shoot had been delayed for three hours. He offered her a cold drink which was spiked and allegedly raped her.
“When I regained consciousness, I confronted him about the incident. He told me that he liked me and wanted to get physically involved and I would not have allowed him to do so otherwise. So he raped me. After the incident, he threatened me with the videos and nude photographs of the incident. He said he would destroy the photographs and videos only if I met him outside at hotels. But I did not budge. Kadam circulated the obscene videos and photographs to my colleagues in the film industry and repeatedly kept threatening me to meet him at hotels. I was feeling humiliated at work. But I kept quiet because of my three daughters or they too would have to undergo suffering and humiliation. I was scared for them and my other family members," said the hairstylist, who has been staying separately from her husband, Santosh Jadhav, since 2016.
“On April 24 this year, Kadam went to my husband’s residence at Borivali and showed him the nude videos and photographs. he then came to my residence at Malad along with my husband and showed the videos to my mother, aunt, brother-in-law and my brother. He also showed the videos to all the people in my neighbourhood,” she alleged.
“My husband, who also had to bear the humiliation, slit his right wrist. My family members and I approached the Malad police on April 24 and informed them about the incident. Despite nearly 200 people gathering in my building, I had to face humiliation in public, as the Malad police merely filed a non-cognisable offence.”
After Mohan Krishnan, a social activist and President of National Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council intervened in the matter, the Dindoshi police filed a First Information Report (FIR) on October 3, 2017.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Krishnan said, “Though the statement was recorded by API Obale on August 15, the FIR was registered only on October 3.The Senior Police Inspector had purposely referred the matter to law officer of North-West region at Bandra as there is no law officer at North Region since last three years.”
According to Rajaram Vhanmane, Senior Police Inspector, Dindoshi police station, “A FIR has been registered. The accused Kadam is presently absconding.”