‘Betrayed Her Trust, Destroyed Her Life’: Bombay HC Rejects Bail Plea of Man Accused of Rape on Promise of Film Role, Sharing Private Videos Online

The Bombay High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a man accused of repeatedly raping a woman on the false promise of helping her secure work in films and later circulating her objectionable photographs and videos on social media.

Justice Shyam Chandak, while rejecting the accused's pre-arrest bail plea, observed that he had “misused the trust” reposed in him by the woman and that there was a prima facie case of rape against him.

“The Applicant misused the trust invested in him by Respondent No. 2 (woman). Said act of the Applicant has ruined the life of Respondent No. 2. Therefore, there is a prima facie case of the offence of rape,” the court said.

According to the prosecution, the woman approached the accused in May 2024 for an audition for a film titled Dakshin Digvijay after her uncle came across a poster seeking actors and shared the contact details with her. Karnataka High Court Quashes Rape Case After Woman Accuses Advocate of Having S*xual Relations With Her on False Promise of Marriage.

The accused allegedly told her he was searching for a suitable story and promised to help her secure a role in a movie. Their friendship gradually developed, and in October 2024, he allegedly convinced her to enter into a physical relationship by assuring her that he would help her get work in films.

The woman alleged that during the relationship, the accused took objectionable photographs and videos of her, assuring her they would remain private. She further claimed that he never disclosed that he was married and had a child, and she learned about his marital status only later. Madhya Pradesh High Court Quashes Rape Case Against Man, Says 'More Than a Year Is Sufficient for Woman to Realise If Marriage Promise Is False'.

The prosecution stated that after the accused's wife discovered the relationship, disputes arose between them. The woman and the accused later decided to end their relationship in January 2026. However, the accused allegedly threatened to circulate her photographs and videos and subsequently made them viral on social media.

An FIR was registered at Narhe Police Station in Pune under Sections 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act and Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The accused argued that the relationship was consensual, claimed he had deleted the photographs and videos from his phone, and contended that custodial interrogation was unnecessary.

Rejecting these submissions, the High Court noted that the accused had concealed his marriage and never fulfilled his promise of helping the woman secure film work.

“The Applicant had no reason to take the objectionable photos and videos of Respondent No. 2 and make it viral,” the court observed.

The court further held that custodial interrogation was necessary to recover electronic evidence and devices allegedly used in the offence, adding that granting anticipatory bail could adversely affect the investigation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2026 08:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).