He hobnobs with the best in the film industry and already has a film to his credit. But who is Goldy Bhutani?
Goldy, whose real name is Ratnesh, came to India from the United States in 2007 and started a production house called Shree Keshav Films. He produced a movie called Bolo Raam, which was released in 2009, starring his brother Rishi. However, Bhutani is reportedly wanted in the United States in an alleged case of child sexual abuse.
According to a post on a website of the Tustin Police Department in the US, the 37-year-old producer had allegedly molested a minor family member in 2006 and has been charged with sodomy, lewd act with a minor and penetration with a foreign object.
The post states his family had 16 members at the time and the molestation reportedly happened over a period of 18 months.
After the incident, Bhutani fled to India, but he is still reportedly wanted in the molestation case registered with the Tustin police department in San Diego, US.
When DNA contacted Bhutani on Monday, he denied the allegations. “I don’t know who has started these wild rumours. There is no truth in them,” he said, adding that the post and the photograph on the police website were fake. “I am going to get in touch with my family in the US to figure out who is behind these false accusations,” said the filmmaker who now lives and works in Mumbai.
Originally from Modinagar near New Delhi, Bhutani migrated to California and entered the perfume trading business along with older brother Rajat. The Bhutanis also own a skin cancer and histology lab in the US. Ratnesh, once a resident of Willard Street in Tustin, allegedly fled to India to escape criminal proceedings after he was accused of sexually assaulting his then 16-year-old relative.
He came to Mumbai in 2007 and started a production house. The other films scheduled to be made under the banner include Haryana Brigade and Darr Returns.
When contacted, the Mumbai police said they were not aware of the case. “We are not aware of any such case, nor have the authorities in the US got in touch with us asking for information about him,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.
