TV actor Pearl V Puri was arrested on Friday night after a 5-year-old girl and her family filed a complaint against him for allegedly molesting and raping her around two years ago. The actor was booked by Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar police, invoking charges of IPC Sec. 376 AB and POCSO Act, 4, 8, 12,19, 21 for the rape of the minor girl. He has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days by Vasai court, news agency ANI reported.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1401111631501750272?s=20
Pearl V Puri's Naagin 3 co-star Karishma Tanna took to Instagram to share a picture with Pearl and wrote, "Satyamev Jayate. Truth wins and he did win. #gotbail @pearlvpuri."
Soon after the news broke, many TV celebrities came forward in support of Pearl and "#istandwithpearl" started trending. Puri's costar from Naagin 3 Anita Hassanandani also extended her support to him. She shared a picture with Pearl and wrote, "Woke up to some nonsensical news bout @pearlvpuri I know him! It is NOT true ... canNOT be true.... all lies. I’m sure there is more to it. And the truth will be out soon. Love you @pearlvpuri"
Producer Ekta Kapoor also penned down a note defending Pearl. She said, "Will I support a child molesteror a molester of any kind? But what I witnessed from last night to now, was the absolute low in human depravity. How can humanity go to this level? How can people who are upset with each other, drag a third person into their own fight? How can a human being take on another human being and do this."
She added, "After various calls with the child‘s/girl’s mother, who openly said that Pearl was not involved and it’s her husband trying to create stories to keep her child and prove that a working mother on a set cannot take care of her kid.If this is true then it is wrong on so many levels! Using an extremely important movement like ‘Me Too’ frivolously, to get your own agendas met with and mentally torturing a child and making an innocent person guilt."
"I have no right to decide, the courts will decide who is right & wrong. My opinion only comes from what the girl’s mother said to me last night & that is - Pearl is innocent and it is very very sad if people are using various tactics to prove working mothers are unable to take care of their children, because there are predators on the set. I have all the voice notes and messages between the child’s mother and me which clearly points to the false allegations being put on Pearl"
According to the Valiv Police Station, which lodged the case, the victim's family had complained that Puri had allegedly molested and raped the girl, around two years ago.
Pearl began his career as a television actor with the 2013 show "Dil Ki Nazar Se Khoobsurat" while Ekta Kapoor's "Naagin 3" and "Bepanah Pyaar" made him popular. He was last seen in the television series "Brahmarakshas 2".
