Anara Gupta
Anara Gupta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anara Gupta 29 August 1986 (age 38) |
| Modeling information | |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Brown |
Anara Gupta (born 29 August 1986) is an Indian model who won the "Miss Jammu" beauty pageant in 2001. She has been at the center of an ongoing and widely publicized pornography and police scandal in Jammu and Kashmir since 2004.
Allegation
A DVD with a pornographic movie allegedly featuring Gupta came to light in October 2004 and was aired on several TV stations. Since pornography is illegal in India, she was arrested, along with her mother and three brothers, in Jammu City where she lived.[1] Gupta was held in custody for about 10 days, during which time she was presented to the media. She accused well-known cable TV operator Narinder Kohli of having raped her and lured her into the pornography business, then blackmailing her with the produced DVD; Kohli was arrested. She also described a larger pornography ring, involving several politicians.[2][3]
Counter allegation
The detention was later found to have been illegal, and three police officers were dismissed. Gupta retracted her confession and claimed to have been tortured and coerced by police into making a false confession during her illegal detention and proceeded to sue the police for compensation.[4] An investigation by the forensic lab in Hyderabad concluded that the woman in the video was not Anara Gupta, and police then acted to close the case against her.[5] An investigation by the forensic laboratory in Chandigarh, however, came to the opposite conclusion.[6] Several parties, including the fired police officers, argued against closing the case, and court hearings were held throughout 2005, during which time Gupta was barred from talking to the media.
Follow-up
In May 2005 she travelled with her mother to New Delhi and met with officials of the National Commission for Women and the National Human Rights Commission in order to have them investigate the alleged police misconduct.[7]
In August 2005 she was reportedly starring in a movie about her career and ordeal, produced by Ashok Pandit.[8] She also acted in the TV series Sulegti Rahen. In March 2006 she was reported to have moved to Mumbai in order to star in a Bollywood movie about her life, produced by K K Yadava.[9] The movie, named Miss Anara, was released in June 2007 and was poorly received. It alleges that a police officer produced the porn movie with a hidden camera in order to make sexual advances at Gupta while she was imprisoned.[10][11]
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir closed the case in December 2005 without charging Gupta. Social activist Amit Chouhan pressed for a reopening of the case, concerned that evidence about a pornography ring involving young girls and high-ranking politicians was being suppressed.[12][13]
In August 2006 a fresh investigation into the case was begun, on order of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir.[14]
See also
Other Indian sex scandals
Other pageant winner sex scandals
References
- ^ Hyderabad lab clears Jammu’s Anara Gupta in porn CD case, The Tribune, 6 January 2005
- ^ 'First he raped me, then played on my body and ambitions' Archived October 24, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Hindustan Times, 10 November 2004.
- ^ He forced me into porn movies, The Times of India, 9 November 2004
- ^ Court says no to shifting Anara to welfare home Archived February 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, The Tribune, 23 December 2004
- ^ Case against Anara Gupta withdrawn Archived July 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, The Tribune, 4 February 2005
- ^ Anara Gupta episode: forensic laboratory report contradicted, The Hindu, 9 February 2005
- ^ Anara Gupta looks to NCW for justice, The Times of India, 7 May 2005
- ^ Anara Gupta hospitalised Archived October 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Hindustan Times, 4 August 2005.
- ^ Anara Gupta to try luck at B'wood, The Times of India, 5 March 2006
- ^ Real to reel in Miss Anara, The Times of India, 22 June 2007
- ^ Miss Anara Archived October 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, SmasHits.com movie review
- ^ Court orders fresh probe into Anara case, The Times of India, 22 January 2006
- ^ Reopen Anara case, demands social activist Archived February 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, The Tribune, 3 July 2006
- ^ J&K govt orders fresh probe into Anara case Archived April 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Hindustan Times, 15 August 2006