An investment offer, rape, and blackmail: The case against industrialist Shyam Sunder Bhartia

An aspiring Hindi film actor has alleged that prominent industrialist Shyam Sunder Bhartia raped her on multiple occasions. Netra*, who has worked in multiple movies and web series with notable actors, alleged that she was coerced into these situations through blackmail by a woman named Pooja Kamaljeet Singh.

Netra has been working in the film industry since 2014. She told Newslaundry that she was first introduced to Pooja Singh in 2023 by a producer named Hashim Khan, who had presented her as someone with influence in the film industry. According to Netra, after Khan died later in 2023, she reached out to Singh, who claimed to be a well-wisher.

More than a year later, the Kapurbawadi police in Thane filed an FIR on February 22 this year against four persons, including Singh and Jubilant Bhartia Group founder Shyam Sunder Bhartia. It came after the Bombay High Court took cognisance of Netra’s petition alleging that the Thane Nagar police were not registering an FIR based on her complaint submitted on November 11 last year. 

On February 25, Bhartia called all the allegations “baseless, false and disparaging”. On the same day, Jubilant Foodworks told the Bombay Stock Exchange that news reports about Bhartia have “no material impact on the company or its operations”. 

The company’s statement said: 

“In reference to media reports about the registration of an FIR by the police, the company has received a statement from Mr Shyam S Bhartia, Chairman, Jubilant Bhartia Group, in his personal capacity, where he denies all the allegations as they are baseless, false and disparaging, and made with clear mala fide intent against him. The order of the hon’ble High Court of Bombay, downloaded from the court’s website, specifically states that the police shall investigate the case on its own merits. The court has also made it clear in the said order that they have not dwelled on the merits of the complaint in any manner whatsoever. As a respectable citizen, Mr Bhartia would fully cooperate with the investigation agency as and when called upon to do so. As the investigation in this matter is ongoing, no additional comments can be made at this stage. He has further requested that the privacy of the family be respected. The company confirms that the said news reports have no material impact on the company or its operations.”

Newslaundry reached out to Bhartia and Pooja Singh for comment. This report will be updated if they respond.

First meeting and Singapore trip

Newslaundry pieced together the timeline of events and allegations through details included in the FIR, Netra’s high court petition, and her November 11 police complaint. 

According to the three documents, Netra said she befriended Pooja Singh sometime in 2023.

“We stayed in regular contact and developed a friendship. She earned my trust, making me believe that she was a well-wisher and would use her influence and big industry connections to make me a big star,” Netra claimed.

Soon after, Netra allegedly told Pooja Singh that she needed Rs 3 crore in seed funding for a project. She alleged that Singh offered to connect her with potential investors. Accordingly on May 3, 2023, Singh arranged a meeting at Hotel Taj in Mumbai’s Santacruz, where she allegedly introduced Netra to Shyam Sunder Bhartia. 

During this meeting, Netra said Bhartia expressed interest in investing in her project. He invited both Netra and Singh to Singapore for further discussions. According to the FIR, he also asked for Netra’s phone number. Singh assured Netra that Bhartia was highly influential and that she had known him for many years.