French woman shoots nude video on Rishikesh's Laxman Jhula; held

Haridwar: A 27-year-old French woman was arrested in Uttarakhand for allegedly getting her nude video shot at Rishikesh’s popular Lakshmanjhula over Ganga, said police on Saturday.

The woman was arrested on Thursday after a local ward councillor Gajendra Sajwan lodged a complaint against the woman on August 25, said police.

RK Saini, senior sub-inspector at Rishikesh’s Muni Ki Reti police station, where the foreign national was booked said, “Sajwan had lodged a complaint that the woman had done a nude video shoot and a photo shoot and put them on social media platforms through which he came to know about it.”

“Based on the complaint, a case was registered against her under the relevant sections of Information Technology Act. During the probe, it was confirmed that the act was done on Lakshmanjhula, which is a public place. Later, some locals said that the woman is living in a hotel in Rishikesh,” said Siani.

After verifying her address, police then went to her hotel and questioned her over the incident.

“During the questioning, she accepted to have shot the video in nude but claimed she was not aware that it’s illegal in India. She said the video and the photoshoot was intended to promote her bead-necklace business. She was then arrested on Thursday,” said Saini.

However, she was later granted bail.

“It seems that she wasn’t aware that it’s illegal in India, as in France, it’s not so uncommon. She is in Rishikesh since the last four-five months and is staying in a hotel at present,” said Saini.