Casting couch in the Ollywood is not confined to a section of producers, directors and some others related to the film industry. An all-India service officer was also involved in exploiting a girl with the help of a film producer.
The alleged involvement of Rajiv Kumar, a senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer in sexual harassment of newcomers in the Ollywood and promoting casting couch on the plea of giving a chance in the industry has been exposed in a sting operation conducted by a local television channel.
The officer who is presently the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) Member-Secretary had financed some producers to the tune of crores for making films.
The sting operation, which was aired by PrameyaNews7 on Saturday, exposed that the IFS officer had raped a girl for five times with the help film producer Rudra Mohanty on the plea of facilitating her making a lead heroine in the Odia movie industry.
He was luring girls promising to make them heroines in films. The only motive of the officer for entering into the glamour industry was to satisfy his lust, if the sting operation is to be believed.
The victim who was trapped by the officer and the producer, finding no alternative, moved the Bhubaneswar Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court seeking justice in February. The court has asked the Commissionerate police for a probe.
A sting operation was conducted by the channel over the allegation. The channel caught the officer on camera allegedly sexually harassing and asking for sexual favours from a girl. He allegedly sexually exploited her five times.