Update: 

Bengaluru, Oct 27(IANS): Kannada film actress Sruthi Hariharan on Saturday filed a sexual harassment case with the police against actor Arjun Sarja here, a week after she had named him on the social media.

"We have registered an FIR (First Information Report) and booked the accused (Arjun) under various sections of the IPC on a complaint Sruthi filed at the Cubbon Park police station through her lawyer," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) D. Devaraj told reporters here.

Sruthi, 29, had named Arjun, 54, in her Facebook post on October 20, accusing him of sexually harassing her on the sets of a Kannada film in 2016. She also referred to two other incidents in November and December of 2015 in her complaint.

"Sruthi has accused Arjun of making unwelcome sexual advances, gestures to outrage her modesty and criminal intimidation over a period of time. We will investigate the case as per the provisions of the law," said Devaraj.

Recalling the ordeal she underwent during the shooting of the Kannada film 'Vismaya' in November 2015, Sruthi said that during the rehearsal, Arjun amorously started cuddling, touching her hips and thighs, and moving his hands up to her bra.

"I took exception to Arjun's inappropriate behaviour at the rehearsal. I silently suffered and was unable to express as I was an upcoming artiste while he was a senior, with clout in the industry and power corridors," said Sruthi in her complaint.

Though Sruthi approached the director and told him that she could not work like this, nothing happened.

"There was another scene where we were supposed to lie on a bed together. Taking advantage of the situation, he pulled my hand, forcing me to come close to him, hug him, but I pushed his hand, finished the scene and came out of the set," Sruthi recounted.

Referring to a shooting schedule in a city hospital in December 2015, Sruthi said Arjun repeatedly made advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures, and asked her to join after shooting in his private place, saying "we can spend private time together."

On July 18, 2016, when Sruthi went to UB City in Bengaluru's upscale shopping arcade for a shoot of 'Vismaya', Arjun walked behind her in the lobby, held her back hard and told her "why are you waiting alone at the lobby, why don't you accompany me to my room, I am alone too, we will have some fun," as per the complaint.

Sruthi thought of taking a legal action against Arjun on several occasions, but could not muster courage as she was an upcoming artiste and feared it could jeopardise her career.

"When I noticed the #MeToo movement gaining momentum where artistes like me who had suffered sexual harassment and who could not vent it out, I found it as a platform to express my ordeal too," she added.

Earlier report:

Actor Arjun Sarja’s manager threatening me, alleges Sruthi Hariharan

Bengaluru, Oct 27(DC): Sandalwood actor Sruthi Hariharan, who had accused senior actor Arjun Sarja of sexual harassment during the shooting of bilingual movie Vismaya, on Friday filed a complaint against Sarja's media manager Prashanth Sambargi, accusing him of issuing her life threats.

She filed the complaint a day after Sarja dragged her to court with a Rs 5 crore defamation suit.

In her complaint to the police, Sruthi also accused Sambargi of communalising the issue and bringing her disrepute. The High Grounds police, who registered the FIR, booked Sambargi and a few others for criminal intimidation and are yet to question them.

“I was summoned for a mediation meeting at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. It was arranged by KFCC chairman Chinna Gowdru and senior actor and former minister Ambareesh to sort out differences between the two of us. While I was at the meeting, Sambargi issued a statement to the media, claiming that international agencies had paid me to level allegations against Arjun Sarja. He said that he would not leave me alone and also threatened to kill me,” Sruthi’s complaint reads.

Sambargi said that Sruthi’s Facebook ID is being used at three different places at the same time and he can provide the IP addresses that he managed to get in his private capacity. Sruthi filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police in Bengaluru, alleging that Sambargi had hired hackers to access her private phone records and Facebook data. The Cyber Crime Police are yet to register an FIR.

Meanwhile, a lower court on Friday ordered a notice to actress Sruthi Hariharan to hear her arguments in the defamation suit filed against her by actor Arjun Sarja. The matter has been adjourned to Monday.

The actor has filed a Rs 5 crore defamation suit against Sruthi, alleging that she made false allegations to defame him and malign his character and image. The actor has also urged the court for a temporary injunction order to restrain Sruthi from making any further statements on the issue until the court passes further orders.