Music composer arrested for raping singer under false promise of work

The composer, best known for the music of films like Thamma and Stree 2, was granted bail by the metropolitan magistrate’s court on Thursday

MUMBAI: Sachin Sanghvi, a 45-year-old music composer, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 29-year-old female singer after promising her work in a music album. Sanghvi, part of the famous composer duo Sachin-Jugar and best known for the music of films like Thamma and Stree 2, was granted bail by the metropolitan magistrate’s court later in the day, police officers aware of the matter told Hindustan Times.

Sachin Sanghvi

The singer, a resident of Vile Parle East, told the police that Sanghvi contacted her in February 2024 via social media, saying he liked her voice and promised to give her an opportunity in his album. The duo subsequently met several times in his studio and other places, when Sanghvi claimed that he had a troubled relationship with his wife and wanted to divorce her. He expressed love for the singer and entered into a sexual relationship with her, but later started avoiding the topic of divorce.

In May-June 2024, the singer travelled with the composer to London, Budapest, Hungary and Europe while in August, she discovered that she was pregnant, she said in the complaint. “When she told Sanghvi about the pregnancy, he threatened to leak her videos and photos and pressured her to undergo an abortion,” an officer from Santacruz police station told HT.

Based on the singer’s complaint, the Santacruz police on October 22 registered a first information report against Sanghvi under sections 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means, etc.), 74 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 89 (causing miscarriage without the woman’s consent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Advocate Aditya Mithe, representing Sachin Sanghvi, said the allegations in the FIR were absolutely baseless and unsubstantiated.

“There are absolutely no merits to the case. My client’s detention by the police was illegal and that is the reason why he was released on bail immediately. We intend to defend all allegations fully and unequivocally,” Mithe said.