Indian police file rape case against Bollywood actor Alok Nath

MUMBAI: Indian police said Wednesday they had registered a rape case against Bollywood actor Alok Nath, a rare development in India's burgeoning #MeToo movement, with very few accusations under investigation by the authorities.

Vinta Nanda, a writer and producer, has accused the veteran actor of raping her 19 years ago.

"Yesterday (Tuesday), Vinta Nanda visited Oshiwara police station (in Mumbai) and filed a complaint against Alok Nath.

"Investigations are on and an FIR (first information report) has been filed under section 376 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code)," deputy commissioner Paramjit Singh Dahiya told AFP.

In a Facebook post published last month Nanda said she had been "brutalised and violated endlessly" by the popular star.

She did not name him directly but dropped enough hints which led others in the Hindi film industry to quickly identify him on Twitter.

Nath, 62, denies the allegations and has sued Nanda for defamation.

He has also asked for a written apology and token compensation of one rupee.

India's belated #MeToo movement started gaining traction in late September.

It has seen women share accounts of alleged harassment by several powerful men in the worlds of Bollywood, business, journalism, politics, comedy and even cricket.

The trigger appears to have been actress Tanushree Dutta, who accused well-known Bollywood actor Nana Patekar of inappropriate behaviour on a film set 10 years ago.

Since then, a slew of powerful Bollywood figures have been accused of sexual misconduct, including Vikas Bahl and Sajid Khan. All have denied the claims.

Very few cases are being probed by the police, however officers at the same station where Nanda filed her complaint are also investigating Dutta´s allegation.

Last month, M.J. Akbar resigned as India's junior foreign minister after at least 20 women accused him of sexual harassment during his time as a newspaper editor.

Akbar—who denies the allegations—is suing one of the complainants, Priya Ramani, for defamation.