Sajid Khan Should Be Allowed To Work As He Served His Punishment: FWICE

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) wrote to union minister Anurag Thakur in case of  Sajid Khan and related 2018 Me Too movement allegations. The letter was in support of Sajid Khan and also urged the minister to give him permission to work as he already served a one-year suspension.

It is debatable whether one year suspension is enough for years of sexual misconduct and misery of countless actors who survived it. 

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) come out in favour of Sajid Khan amid criticism of his participation in Salman Khan's reality show Bigg Boss 16 and addressed a letter to the minister of information and broadcasting, Anurag Thakur. In the letter, FWICE stated that Khan had already served his one-year suspension. In March 2019, the restriction was lifted.

The letter from FWICE was written in response to one from Swati Maliwal, the head of the Delhi Commission of Women, to Anurag Thakur in which she sought the removal of Sajid Khan from Bigg Boss 16 due to several complaints of sexual misconduct against him.

FWICE Stand on Sajid Khan

The Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) had been informed of the accusations against Sajid Khan, according to FWICE, and had proposed a one-year suspension for Sajid Khan. Following inquiries by the IFTDA's POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committee, FWICE agreed and imposed the ban.

It added that Khan had cooperated with the POSH Committee's ruling and cooperated with the IFTDA and FWICE. The ban on Sajid Khan was lifted by the FWICE on 14.03.2019 after the one-year duration of this punishment was up since the FWICE was satisfied with his behaviour during that time.

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In the letter, it was also stated that Khan had undergone the POSH committee's difficult days as well as much humiliation on social media and other open forums. A person who has already received their sentence and complied with the IFTDA and FWICE's ruling cannot be tried for the same offence again and penalised for it, continued the letter.

The letter concluded with a request to permit Sajid Khan to work for the show Bigg Boss and not take any action against him. Strong responses from many groups have been sparked by Sajid's appearance on the show. Producers of the show, as well as star Salman Khan, are facing criticism for offering Bigg Boss 16 to a man who has been accused of sexual assault by nine women.