Mumbai: The 34-year-old actress who has filed a first information report (FIR) against big businessman Shyam Sunder Bhartia (73) and three others on charges of multiple rape, criminal intimidation and offences under the Atrocities Act at Kapurbawdi police station in Thane, on Tuesday sought police protection since she feared danger to her life.

According to sources, the victim, who is now moving about in a burkha to avoid being identified, has received threats and fears for her life. Hence she has sought police protection. The police is yet to concede her request for protection.

In her FIR, the victim has accused Bhartia of raping her on different occations in Singapore, Mumbai and Delhi. Apparently, Pooja videographed the rape and threatened to made the tape viral if she complained.

Since the police did not register her FIR, she moved, through her lawyers Mohammed Ahmed Shaikh and Sofiya Shaikh, the Bombay high court which directed the Thane police to register her FIR and investigate the allegations.

In the criminal writ petition, the victim has stated that Pooja Singh formed a company called Flying Colors Pvt Ltd on October 23, 2023 in which Pooja Singh, her daughter Mallika and the victim were directors. Pooja said Bhartia will invest Rs 50 cr in the company to produce a film and make her a big star.

The victim said Bhartia invested Rs 9.44 cr in the company on March, 18, 2024. On the same day Pooja Singh took money from the said company account and deposited it in her personal account without the knowledge of the victim. The statement of HDFC Bank has been attached to the petition. Later the victim's name was removed as a director of the company apparently without her knowledge.

The victim said she went to Thane Nagar police to lodge a complaint against Bhartia and Pooja, but nobody gave her a hearing. She then met the deputy commissioner (crime branch) and filed a complaint on November 11, 2024. But again there was no response. Instead, she received a call from the police asking her to "settle" the matter with Bhartia.

She has alleged that she has been receiving threat calls from unknown persons asking her to take back her complaint made to the police. The callers warned her of "unimaginable consequences" if she did not withdraw her complaint.

Incidentally, Kamaljeet Singh, who is a co-accused along with Bhartia was arrested in 2005 by the Delhi police under sections 4 and 5 of the immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, sections 3 (i)(ii), 3 (4), 3 (5) and section 4 of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MOCA) and sections 420 and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR bearing no 96/2005 was registered at Chanakyapuri Police Station.