Actress arrested on prostitution charges says she is a victim

A former Indian child star, who won a National Award for 2002 film 'Makdee', Shweta Basu Prasad was in a rescue home after her arrest due to her alleged involvement in a prostitution racket.

After two months she has now been set free to be with her family in Mumbai.

Speaking to an Indian daily, Shweta said that she had no clue about the 'statement' following her arrest.

She is upset with the journalist who cooked up such a statement during her crisis period and attributed it to her.

The same statement was circulated everywhere and Shweta had absolutely no idea as she was detached from the outside world including her parents.

About the statement, the actress said, "Whoever made up that statement damaged my reputation by saying that all doors were closed on me - no such thing has happened and the film industry has always been very warm and welcoming to me - and that "people encouraged me to get into prostitution to earn money". These are outrageous lies that I never uttered."

The 'statement' in question, began doing the rounds of the media soon after Shweta's arrest.

Out of the rescue home now, Shweta refutes the statement and has said that they are tracking down the journalist who attributed the statement to her.

Shweta told DNA that she had been in Hyderabad (where she was arrested) to attend an award ceremony and missed her flight back home.

She said, "I hadn't been called to Hyderabad by any agent for commercial sex. I had gone to there to attend an awards ceremony. Call it fate or whatever; I missed my flight back in the morning. My air ticket and stay were done by the organisers of the awards function.

"I still have the ticket. I've been told that the agent has been arrested. The case is being investigated. I am a victim in the whole situation. There was a raid... I am not denying the incident. But the facts are not what they've been made out to be."

At the age of 10, Shweta had won a National Award for her role in 'Makdee'.

Following that, her acting in 'Iqbal' earned her much critical acclaim.

When the news of her arrest broke out, it shocked many.

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