Casting couch slur: Akshaya Parija moves anticipatory bail plea

Well known Odia filmmaker Akshaya Parija has moved an anticipatory bail petition in Orissa High Court after allegations of casting couch against him were levelled by a girl.

Parija has been accused of sexually exploiting a girl on the pretext of casting her in movies for last one year. The victim has also alleged that Parija captured her objectionable photographs and blackmailed her. 

As per the allegation, the filmmaker forced her to keep physical relationship with him for a year. 

The victim further alleged that Parija threatened her with dire consequences and to make her nude pictures viral if she ties nuptial knot with another person with whom her marriage has been fixed.

Meanwhile, in a counter-complaint at Nayapalli police station in Bhubaneswar, the filmmaker alleged that the girl had been blackmailing him. 

Earlier, senior film critic Dilip Halli had termed the incident unfortunate.

“Akshaya Parija may be a well-known producer, but he was involved in such kinds of incidents earlier too. Only a few cases of exploitations have come to the fore based on allegations by the victims,” Halli had said.

(Reported by Goutam Panda)