Man hauled to court for slapping Bollywood star Gauhar Khan over revealing dress

Bollywood actress Gauhar Khan attending the premiere of Bollywood film Shanghai on June 7, 2012. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
Bollywood actress Gauhar Khan attending the premiere of Bollywood film Shanghai on June 7, 2012. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

MUMBAI (AFP) - A man has appeared in court after slapping a Bollywood actress for wearing a short dress during the filming of a reality television show, police said Tuesday.

The 24-year-old assaulted model and actress Gauhar Khan in Mumbai because "being a Muslim woman, she should not have worn such a short dress," police quoted him as saying.

He was wrested away by security guards at the shooting of "India's Raw Star", hosted by Khan, in north Mumbai on Sunday and then arrested.

"The accused was produced in the court on Monday," said assistant police inspector Sanjay Shinde at the Aarey Sub Police Station, without giving further details.

"Since it is a matter associated with Bollywood, a senior officer is also following the progress of the probe," he told AFP.

Khan has appeared in several films and last year won "Big Boss", India's reality show equivalent to "Big Brother".

Treatment of women in the country has been the subject of much media attention over the past two years after a student was gang-raped and killed in the capital New Delhi.

But people hoping for increased awareness of women's rights would probably be sent "into the depths of despair" by the comments of the man who attacked Khan, the Mid Day newspaper said Tuesday.

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