Director Shakeel Noorani arrested in alleged rape case; actor accuses him of drugging her, threatening with video
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Director Shakeel Noorani, 73, who is known for producing and directing films such as Bade Dil Wala (1999) and Joru Ka Ghulam (2000), was arrested by the Malvani Police in the early hours of August 8 before being brought to Mumbai in connection with an alleged rape and sexual assault case filed by a 33-year-old female star.
Adding to this, Director Shakeel Noorani arrested in alleged rape case of star. What is the case? According to a report in Mid-day, the director is accused of calling a woman to his Malvani residence on the pretext of discussing an soon-to-release movie project and sexually assaulting her. He is also accused of administering a sedative and threatening the woman with an alleged video. Police sources told the website that the director was traced to a farmhouse in Medha, Satara district, and arrested.
Meanwhile, The Malvani Police have registered a case under Sections 64(2)(M), 123, 351(2) and 88 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police have sought his custody to further investigate the case and ascertain whether the alleged offences took place at other locations. The Borivali holiday court “remanded Noorani in police custody till August 12”.
Notably, The report states that the star first met the director in 2016 at an award show in Lokhandwala. During their interaction at the award show, he allegedly asked her to contact him for work regarding an soon-to-release project.
As per the latest buzz, In the FIR, she alleged that the director gave her a drink, after which she fell unconscious when she later visited his Malvani residence to read a script. She further alleged that Noorani threatened to circulate a video that he had recorded and warned her not to approach the police or inform her family. She accused him of using the video as a tool to threaten her further and sexually assault her repeatedly and on multiple occasions.
In further updates, As per the report, she also alleged that Noorani repeatedly gave her contraceptive pills following the alleged sexual encounters. The report states that the woman returned to Mumbai in 2026 while seeking financial assistance for medical treatment.
On top of that, Shakeel's advocate Vikas Singh Goar has maintained that his client has been falsely implicated. “The allegations made by the star are yet to be established before a court, and the investigation is underway. Noorani is presumed innocent unless proven guilty,” he shared.
Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through movie reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, star interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, star features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times