Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police on Monday issued a lookout circular (LOC) against playback singer Sourin Bhatt in connection with a harassment case lodged by a woman of Odisha’s Cuttack city.
According to sources, the LOC was issued after a team of police failed to trace him in Kolkata, his native place, after conducting searches at three places in the city. The singer reportedly stays in Mumbai.
“With the Orissa High Court vacating the interim protection, a notice was service on Sourin Bhatt to depose before the investigation officer. However, he kept avoiding and did not cooperate with the officer. The police team also could not find him in Kolkata,” said Cuttack DCP Pinak Mishra.
The DCP said that lookout notice was issued against the singer through the Crime Branch to prevent him from travelling outside the country.
A case was registered against him on the basis of a complaint lodged by a woman, a resident of Cuttack city who works in a private bank, at Mahila police station here on June 12, accusing him of false promises of marriage, cheating, torture and exploitation. She also accused the vocalist of having taken Rs 10 lakh from her.
On June 26, the singer filed the anticipatory bail petition in the HC fearing arrest. The court initially granted him interim protection but later rejected his plea. “This court does not find the case to be fit for grant of pre-arrest bail. Keeping in view the nature of allegations as emerged from the materials on record, the circumstances appearing, the seriousness and gravity of the offences, this court is not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner. The prayer for bail accordingly stands rejected,” the order read.
The HC also directed him to cooperate in the police investigation whenever required.
