The Property Cell of the Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch has arrested actress and model Gehana Vasisth for her alleged role in shooting and uploading porn videos on a website. The Mumbai Police arrested the actor after it received complaints from at least three more victims who said that they were forced into doing porn films.
So far, Gehana has shot 87 pornographic videos and uploaded them on her websites where people have to pay subscription fees of up to Rs. 2,000 to watch the content. The police seized three bank accounts associated with the racket, with a balance of Rs. 36 lakh that was generated through the subscription fees. The police also recovered six mobile phones, a camera and related equipment, a laptop, memory cards and Rs 5.68 lakh in cash.
Gehana Vasisth aka Vandana Tiwari allegedly lured new and struggling actors who were seeking to make a career in the entertainment industry, and paid them Rs 15,000-20,000 to work for her movies, said a police officer privy to the case.
Based on a series of complaints, a team of the Crime Branch raided a Green Park bungalow in Madh Island in Malad and the houses of several others, including Yasmin Beg Khan alias Rowa (producer and director), Pratibha Nalawade (graphic designer), Monu Gopaldas Joshi (actor), Bhanusuryam Thakur (assistant) and Mohammed Asif alias Saify (cameraman).
Reportedly, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and Female Subliminal Form Prohibition Act. All the accused have been sent to custody till February 10.
Meanwhile, Gehana’s press and legal teams issued a statement, calling her innocent and alleging that her business rivals were falsely implicating her. “Gehana Vasisth aka Vandana Tiwari is totally innocent. She is not involved in any porn film racket…She is being trapped or made a victim by vested interests and business competitors who are out to defame her. As the producer and director of her company GV Studios, she has only produced and directed films that are permissible in law and at most can be classified or categorized as ‘erotica’,” the statement said.
“Unfortunately, Mumbai Police, which is otherwise the best police force in the world, has mixed up and clubbed together Gehena’s erotica film making work with hard porn and hard porn makers in India,” the legal team stated. They further added that they have full faith in the judiciary and the Indian legal system.
“There is a legal difference between erotica or sensual or bold films and hardcore porn, but unfortunately, we are really saddened by the fact that the cops have clubbed both together. We hope the courts will identify the difference and give Gehana justice in the coming days,” said her legal team.