#MeToo In Sandalwood: FIR Filed Against Arjun Sarja By Sruthi Hariharan

Following charges of sexual harassment against actor Arjun Sarja, Sruthi Hariharan filed a complaint against him at Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park police station on Saturday (27 October).

She has accused Sarja of attempting sexual overtures several times while shooting for a film three years ago in 2015. An FIR under IPC Sections 354 (sexual harassment), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) has been filed, The Hindu reported.

Investigation is undergoing after the cops took cognisance of the case, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Central Division D. Devraj informed the media. In the complaint, Sruthi has written that the incident happened while she was shooting for the film Vismaya in 2015 and the accused used rehearsals as an excuse to cover-up the harassment meted out against the victim. Fearing sabotage from the industry since she was new to films, she held herself back from taking legal action. She accused Sarja of threatening her several times.

She said that the #MeToo movement gave strength and voice to women who underwent harassment like her and could not muster the courage to speak up about it.