Khan's lawyer Ashok Saraogi said, “He was granted bail in the Versova (actress molestation) case. His bail plea in the Malad case will be decided tomorrow." (Express Archive) A Mumbai court Tuesday granted bail to actor and self-proclaimed film critic Kamal R Khan in connection with a molestation case filed against him by an actress. A police officer at the Versova police station, where the 2019 molestation case has been lodged, confirmed the development.
Khan, popularly called KRK, is already in judicial custody for his alleged derogatory tweets on Akshay Kumar’s movie Laxmii.
However, Khan will continue to remain in judicial custody in the derogatory tweets case registered at Malad police station. The case will be heard by a magistrate court in Borivali on Wednesday. Khan may further face trouble as he is also wanted in a third case registered at the Bandra police station for passing derogatory comments on deceased actors Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan.
Khan’s lawyer Ashok Saraogi said, “He was granted bail in the Versova (actress molestation) case. His bail plea in the Malad case will be decided tomorrow.”
In the actress molestation case, a 27-year-old complainant had told the police that she had come to Mumbai in 2017 and she is an actor, singer and a fitness model. She met Khan in 2017 during a house party. Khan introduced himself as a producer after which they chatted and exchanged phone numbers.
In the same year, Khan had allegedly said he will give her a lead role in a movie called Captain Nawab starring Emran Hashmi and passed sexually explicit comments at the actress over phone.
She alleged that in January 2019, KRK invited her to his bungalow in Four Bungalows for his birthday. Though she did not go that day, she went to his bungalow another day the same week around 7 pm, she said. As it was too hot, he took her to a room on the first floor, she added.
The woman said KRK offered her vodka which she denied. He then offered her orange juice and she agreed to have it. She alleged he spiked the orange juice and she felt dizzy. Khan then tried to have sex with her and flashed at her, she said. The complainant said she got scared and left the place. She then called up her friend who said KRK has a big clout in the industry and complaining about it could affect her career, she said.
The woman said that in mid-2021, she narrated her ordeal to another friend who advised her to approach the police. She then approached the Versova police station and a first information report (FIR) was registered against Khan under Indian Penal Code sections 354 A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, act or gesture intended to insult woman’s modesty).
On Saturday, the Versova police took KRK’s custody from jail. He was produced before a magistrate court in Bandra Sunday and the Versova police tried to seek his custody. Khan’s lawyer argued before court that the complainant had made false allegations and approached the police 18 months after the incident. As the sections were bailable, the magistrate denied police custody and remanded Khan to judicial custody.
To which, the Versova police said they tried to trace Khan but could not find him. After Khan left India for Dubai in March 2020, a lookout circular (LOC) was issued against him by the Malad police in an FIR registered by them in 2020 for posting derogatory tweets on the Akshay Kumar movie.
He was detained at the CSMI Airport last Monday when he returned from Dubai. A day later, he was placed under arrest and sent to judicial custody by a magistrate court.