73-year-old filmmaker Shakeel Noorani arrested on rape, sexual assault charges

Filmmaker Shakeel Noorani has been arrested after a 33-year-old actor accused him of rape, sexual assault and blackmail. Police say he was traced to Satara after weeks of evading arrest and remains in custody as the investigation continues.

In Short

• Filmmaker Shakeel Noorani arrested by Mumbai Police in rape and blackmail case
• Noorani was caught after evading arrest for about 40 days in Satara farmhouse
• 33-year-old actor alleged repeated sexual exploitation since 2016

Filmmaker Shakeel Noorani was arrested by Mumbai Police on Saturday in connection with a rape, sexual assault and blackmail case filed by a 33-year-old actor. The 73-year-old filmmaker was arrested from a farmhouse in Maharashtra's Satara district after allegedly evading arrest for around 40 days.

Noorani was arrested by the Malwani police and is currently in police custody. A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. His lawyer, however, has denied the allegations against him.

According to the police complaint, the actor first came in contact with Noorani in 2016 and alleged that he sexually exploited her repeatedly over the years. She further alleged that Noorani drugged her and recorded videos of her in compromising situations.

She also alleged that Noorani blackmailed her by threatening to make the videos public. According to her complaint, she suffered a miscarriage as a result of the alleged incidents.

Following the complaint, the police registered a case and launched an investigation to trace Noorani. He was subsequently arrested from a farmhouse in Satara district after allegedly remaining untraceable for around 40 days.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Ghuge confirmed Noorani's arrest. "We have arrested him and we are investigating this case as per law," he said.

Noorani has been associated with Bollywood films including Bade Dilwala (1999) and Joru Ka Ghulam (2000).

The investigation is currently underway, and the allegations against Noorani are yet to be established in court.

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