Nana Patekar has being given a clean chit by the police in the case of sexual harassment filed against him by actor Tanushree Dutta last October. The Mumbai police submitted a B Summary report before a metropolitan magistrate in Andheri in Mumbai on 12 June citing lack of evidence as a reason for the closure of their inquiry into the matter. The report, accessed by India Today, also stated that Tanushree’s complaint seems “malicious and fake”, and could have been filed to seek revenge. The police also said that no evidence of an incident of sexual harassment was found.
As for Nana Patekar getting the clean chit, Tanushree Dutta told Bombay Times it is “disgusting”. “Nana Patekar has been trying to get a clean chit for a while now, and I find this verdict disgusting. I have said it earlier that witnesses in this case have been threatened and pressured so that they do not record their statements with the police. Thus, out of 10 witnesses, only one-and-a-half statements have been recorded,” she said.
Tanushree Dutta also added that police could not find credible evidence since the accused is making sure that witnesses never reach the cops. “I did not really have a friend from the unit present on the sets back then, so the witnesses who have spoken up are friends of the accused”, Tanushree said. The actor also added that she doesn’t feel like coming to India, but will keep fighting for justice.
Twitter had expressed their outrage after the cops closed their inquiry. Journalist Janice Sequeira lamented the fact that several men who have been accused during the #MeToo movement that hit India late last year are slowly being absolved of the allegations against them. “And one by one, all the predators are being given a clean chit. Wow, why do we women even bother? I’m BOILING with rage right now!” she tweeted. Last year, Sequeira had corroborated Tanushree’s version of events in a series of tweets.
Other Twitter users shared a similar sentiment, offering actor Alok Nath and director Vikas Bahl as examples of men who have returned to the public eye seemingly without experiencing any consequences despited being accused of sexual misconduct.
(Inputs: Bombay Times)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)