The allegation of rape levelled by a Kannada actress against railway minister DV Sadananda Gowda 's son Karthik Gowda took a new twist on Tuesday, with a Sandalwood director alleging he had married her in July 2004.

The director, Rishi, filed a complaint of cheating with RT Nagar police here saying he married the woman on July, 17, 2004 and since they had no home, he lived with her in a lodge in Seshadripuram, Central Bangalore for four months. But the relationship ended after four months when she ran away with Rs 2 lakh in cash and never returned, he alleged.

Rishi, who directed the Kannada movie Surya The Great in 2003 with the actress in a lead role, said in his complaint that they fell in love during the shooting and decided to marry. After her disappearance, Rishi claimed he tried to trace her. “In 2006, I met a Punebased film director and was shocked to learn that he too had been cheated in the same manner,” he said in the complaint.

“I tried to meet her after learning about the marriage issue with Karthik Gowda. But she not only threatened me saying I should never speak to her, but also warned me of dire consequences if I made any more attempts to meet her,” he said.

We're being framed, says mother:

The actor's mother and her sister called Sandalwood director Rishi a liar. “This is a false case and Rishi is doing it for money. My daughter was 16 years old during the film shoot. How did he marry a minor? Let him show proof if he has it,“ she said.