Singer Noble arrested on charges of assaulting woman

Police have arrested singer Mainul Ahsan Noble in connection with a case filed by a woman accusing him of physical assault and rape.

Noble was apprehended around 2am on Tuesday from the capital's Demra Staff Quarters area, according to Inspector Md Murad Hossain of Demra Police Station.

“Recently, a video went viral showing Noble dragging a young woman down a staircase. The woman filed a case on Monday, bringing allegations of rape, assault, and pornography. Noble was arrested based on the complaint,” he said.

In the CCTV footage recently doing the rounds on Facebook, a woman is seen being assaulted and forcefully dragged down a staircase by the hand. Despite a few people trying to intervene, Noble continued undeterred.

Previously, on May 19, 2023, a man named Safayet Islam filed a case at Motijheel Police Station, accusing Noble of not showing up for a performance despite receiving payment. The following day, the Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Noble and took him into custody for questioning. He was later released on bail after appearing in court.

Noble rose to fame in 2019 after finishing third in the Indian reality show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" on Zee Bangla TV, but he has since been embroiled in various controversies.

On Apr 26, 2023, during a performance in Kurigram, angry spectators at Fulbari Degree College hurled shoes and water bottles at him over his erratic behaviour on stage, disrupting a cultural event organised for the college’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

In recent months, however, Noble had been making appearances at concerts and media events, suggesting he was returning to a “normal” life.

His latest arrest marks yet another blemish on his troubled public image.

NOBLE 'KEPT WOMAN CONFINED' FOR SIX MONTHS

Citing the complaint, police said the woman first came into contact with Noble through social media in 2018.

On Nov 12 last year, Noble reportedly met her in Mohammadpur and brought her to his Demra residence on the pretext of showing her his studio.

Later, Noble and two to three unidentified accomplices forcibly kept the woman confined in his house and smashed her mobile phone, according to the complaint.

The woman further alleged that Noble, while under the influence of drugs, physically assaulted and raped her. He recorded videos of the incidents, threatening to release them on social media if she resisted, according to her.

The woman said that she had been held captive at Noble’s house until Monday.

Her family was able to identify her after a video of her being assaulted by Noble went viral on Facebook. They then called the national emergency helpline 999, according to police.

In response, officers from Demra Police Station rescued the woman around 9:30pm on Monday, and Noble was later arrested.