Filmmaker Sanoj Mishra, who offered a role to viral Mahakumbh girl Monalisa in his movie, has been arrested in connection with a rape case, Delhi police said in a statement on Monday.
According to media reports, a complaint against Mishra was filed by a 28-year-old woman, who alleged that Mishra lured her into a live-in relationship on the pretext of marriage and a role in his film in 2021. He then raped her repeatedly over a period of four years, the complainant alleged.
The woman, an aspiring actress, met Mishra through social media platforms in 2020 while living in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi. Mishra allegedly coerced her into meeting him by threatening suicide.
On June 18, 2021, he took her to a resort, drugged her, and sexually assaulted her, according to the complaint. The woman further accused Mishra of taking objectionable photos and videos of her during that time, which he threatened to leak if the woman denied a relationship.
The complainant alleged that Mishra forced her to undergo abortion procedures on three separate occasions.
According to a statement from Delhi Police, an FIR was lodged on March 6, 2024, accusing Mishra of rape, assault, causing miscarriage, and criminal intimidation.
Mishra was reportedly arrested in Ghaziabad.
“The arrest took place after the rejection of his bail application by Delhi High Court. Sanoj Mishra was apprehended by the Delhi Police following intelligence gathering and technical surveillance. It is alleged that he raped a girl from a small town, who aspired to become a heroine, several times,” reads a statement from Delhi Police.
As per media reports, the police could gather medical evidence related to the alleged abortions from Muzaffarnagar.
Known for films such as Gandhigiri, Ram Ki Janmabhoomi and The Diary of West Bengal, Mishra is married and resides with his family in Mumbai.
Following the news of Monalisa landing her first film role, producer Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi slammed Mishra for allegedly exploiting Monalisa and her family over false hope to cast her in a movie. This led to a social media debate about Mishra’s intentions.
However, Mishra defended his intentions in a short video shared on Instagram. The filmmaker claimed that his only intention was to guide and support Monalisa and not to take advantage of her in any way.
“After she went viral on social media, Monalisa was harassed by the public, which is why she rushed back home. Nobody came forward to help her and her family. So I decided to do that in my own way, and since I am a filmmaker, I offered her a role in a film and also personally visited her home to assist her,” Mishra had said.