Bengaluru, 22 May

Television actor Madhenur Manu, known for his appearance in the show 'Comedy Khiladi', was arrested for rape, miscarriage of woman without her consent, cheating and criminal intimidation by the Annapoorneshwarinagar police following a complaint by a 33-year-old actress.

According to the police, the complainant and Manu became friends in 2018 during their association with the comedy show. Despite being married and a fathering a girl child, Manu allegedly pursued a relationship with the actress, who was then residing in Banashankari and now lives in Nagarabhavi.

In her complaint, the actress alleged that on 29 November, 2022, while in Shivamogga’s Shikaripura for a programme, Manu sexually assaulted her in a hotel room under the pretext of settling her performance payment.

She further stated that on 3 December, 2022, despite her protest, Manu forcibly tied a mangalsutra around her neck and continued to sexually exploit her at her home. He allegedly recorded private videos without her consent and threatened her against speaking out.

The actress also claimed Manu forced her to undergo two abortions after she became pregnant and cheated her out of several lakhs of rupees invested in a film project he was leading.