Idukki: The Kerala police have designated a special investigation team, led by Thodupuzha Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Emmanuel Paul, to probe into the rape case registered against Malayalam actor Baburaj.
Earlier, a former female junior artist filed a complaint with the DIG Ajitha Beegum via email, in which she alleged that Baburaj had abused her at his resort in Adimali and his house in Aluva in 2019 after offering her a chance in a movie. The plaint was later transferred to the Adimali police. The cops will also bring the woman, who currently resides in Gujarat, to Kerala as part of the evidence collection procedures.
The complainant faced the ordeal while working as a receptionist at Baburaj's resort. She had met the actor during his birthday celebrations at the resort. Following this, the actor had given her a small role in his 2018 release, 'Koodasha'.
“In 2019, Baburaj invited me to his residence in Aluva for a discussion of his new movie. He told me the director, producer and actors would arrive for the discussion. But when I reached, only Baburaj and his male employee were there. When I asked him about others, he told me to wait on the ground floor of the building. Later, he took me to his room and raped me. He allowed me to leave the house only the next day. That was our last meeting. Once, he phoned and offered a chance to be his assistant director in the movie 'Black Coffee'. But I refused to accept it,” the complainant explained.
However, Baburaj, an office bearer in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), claimed that the allegations were an attempt by vested interests in the cinema industry to prevent him from becoming the general secretary of the actor’s body, replacing Siddique. Siddique resigned from his position after facing similar charges.
The woman also levelled serious allegations against director Shrikumar that he sexually assaulted her after inviting her to a hotel room under the pretence of discussing a film role.
