Aditya Pancholi claims he was threatened with a rape case, submits video

Aditya Pancholi shares what he claims are threats against him

Aditya Pancholi. Pic/AFP

DAYS after investigations were opened into an A-list actor’s complaint against actor Aditya Pancholi, accusing him of sexually exploiting her 13 years ago, he has shared a video with mid-day in which the actor’s lawyer is supposedly seen discussing the case with Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab. Pancholi, who had earlier claimed being threatened with a rape case by the lawyer, has submitted the video to the police as well.

PANCHOLI shared a five minute 50-second recording of the 18-minute conversation he and his wife Zarina Wahab had with the actor’s lawyer on January 6 [see: ‘This is bigger than #MeToo]. The lawyer, who knows Pancholi socially, had asked to meet him. During their meeting, the defamation cases Pancholi has filed against the actor were discussed, which is when the case the actor’s sister ended up filing against Pancholi came up.

Pancholi claims he was threatened by the lawyer. He has shared the videos with the Versova police along with a written complaint on May 11 against the actor and her sister. He stated in the complaint, “After I filed a case against [the actor and her sister] before the honourable metropolitan magistrate’s 44th court in Andheri, they were summoned but they failed to appear. They are using various pressure tactics so that I withdraw all four cases I’ve filed two years ago. Now, a false, fabricated afterthought has been filed which is a tissue of lies [sic] after 14 years.”

Referring to the tape he shared with mid-day, Pancholi said, “This is the truth. These kind of allegations are being made against me with mala fide intentions to malign my image for personal gain. Now, the truth is out there. Let the law take its course. I’m sure I’ll get justice.”

“When the meeting concluded, he clearly hinted that I should withdrew all of my criminal defamation cases against his client or else there will be a rape case against me, but I didn’t listen to him. Thus, as the lawyer mentioned in the video, the actor’s sister filed the complaint against me in March,” he added.

To prove the authenticity of the video, Pancholi has also shared a certificate from a private agency which has verified the video. Speaking about the development, a police officer said, “We are looking into all the aspects.” mid-day reached out to the actor’s sister, but she remained unavailable for comment. Their lawyer, meanwhile, refused to comment.