TV executive producer Mukesh Mishra was on Wednesday, July 25, sent to seven years in prison by a special women's court for raping a 31-year-old woman. The victim worked in the production unit of his Hindi TV serial Ek Veer Ki Ardaas...Veera.
"Additional sessions judge K S Hore convicted him and awarded seven years' prison term," additional public prosecutor Ashwini Rayakar was quoted as saying by PTI. Mishra (33) was found guilty under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506(II) (criminal intimidation) after the prosecution examined nine witnesses of the incident.
The actress stated in her complaint that Mishra had asked her to reach Jogeshwari station on December 12, 2012. A bus was supposed to pick up artists. When she reached the spot, she found Mishra there. He told her that she should go with him on his motorbike, as the bus was late.
She said that there was no one except the sweeper at the studio when they reached there. After she went to her make-up room, Mishra followed her and raped her.
In her complaint, she told police that Mishra threatened to kill her daughter and defame her if she narrated the incident to anyone. He also started seeking sexual favours from her which she declined.
In 2013, she gathered courage and told her husband, a journalist and small-time film director, about the incident whose complaint to the show's management led to Mishra's sacking. Later, an FIR was filed against Mishra on charges of rape and criminal intimidation.
