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TAMPA — Two young Bulgarian women who found hidden cameras inside their west Hillsborough apartment filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the man they believe videotaped them, the former landlord and boss they knew as Raj Armani.
Ralitsa Dzhambazova, 23, and Vanya Samokovareva, 22, had been living in an apartment subleased to them by Armani for almost two months before they discovered tiny cameras hidden in their bedroom and bathroom, they told authorities.
They don't know how any resulting video may have been used, says their Tampa attorney, Mark Wright.
"Did he just watch it — which is bad enough?" Wright said. "Did he put it on the Internet?"
The women are asking for an emergency injunction, ordering a stop to any display or duplication of video.
They also allege invasion of privacy, negligence, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Armani, who also goes by the name Nadir Punjani, contacted the women on Skype and Facebook and knew they were "young attractive females" when he agreed to hire them at his restaurant, the Bollywood Cafe, and sublease an apartment to them, the lawsuit says.
He didn't move the women into the apartment right away, the lawsuit notes; he put them in a hotel for two days.
The lawsuit alleges that could have provided time for hiding cameras.
Once the women arrived in Tampa, he asked them to do promotion and modeling work for a business venture called "Pizza Babes." The lawsuit says he owes them pay.
Reached via e-mail Wednesday, he declined to comment.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case.
Alexandra Zayas can be reached at azayas@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3354.
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