Nana Patekar Gets A Clean Chit, Tanushree Dutta Will Move High Court

Tanushree Dutta is going to file a written petition before Bombay High Court, after the Mumbai Police closed their investigation in the sexual harassment case against actor Nana Patekar, citing lack of evidence. The Mumbai Police on Thursday filed a B Summary Report in the case and citing lack of evidence as to the reason. A B Summary Report is filed when the police do not get enough evidence to file a charge sheet and seek trial.

Tanushree’s Lawyer Nitin Satpute told India Today, "The police acted negligently to protect Nana Patekar. Many witnesses have not yet recorded their statement. Shyni Shetty's statement was recorded partly. The police have not investigated properly, so we are opposing summary reports and we are also going to file a writ petition before Bombay High Court. We will also demand that the investigation be transferred to another agency or CID, Crime Branch."

Our witnesses have been silenced by intimidation, and fake witnesses have been put forth to weaken the case. What was the rush to file a 'B summary' report when all of my witnesses have not even recorded their statements yet? - Tanushree Dutta

Right after the Mumbai Police closed their investigation, Tanushree issued a statement saying that they were 'just as corrupt as Nana' and that the witnesses in the case had been 'intimidated and bullied'. "Our witnesses have been silenced by intimidation, and fake witnesses have been put forth to weaken the case. What was the rush to file a 'B summary' report when all of my witnesses have not even recorded their statements yet?" she asked. She also said that she is neither shocked nor surprised. "A corrupt police force and legal system giving a clean chit to an even more corrupt person Nana who has been accused even in the past of bullying, intimidation and harassment by several women in the film industry," she added.

Among the people who recorded their statements with the police are journalist Janice Sequeira who supported Dutta’s claim against Patekar, Daisy Shah and Ganesh Acharya who were present on the set of the film when the incident happened.

What Is The Case?

The police have not investigated properly, so we are opposing summary reports and we are also going to file a writ petition before Bombay High Court. We will also demand that the investigation be transferred to another agency or CID, Crime Branch. - Dutta's lawyer, Nitin Satpute

Tanushree Dutta started the #MeToo Movement in India last year, when she spoke about facing sexual harassment by Nana Patekar on the set of Horn OK Pleassss in 2008.  She further alleged that at Patekar’s insistence, the film’s director had added an intimate scene in the song which originally just had Dutta dancing to it. Patekar though had defended himself, rubbishing, “all the accusations by actress Tanushree Dutta.”

She had then proceeded filed a case of sexual harassment against Patekar. The actress pointed out last month, that even after such a long time, police has not been able to probe the matter properly. She then questioned what is taking the police so long to come to a just conclusion. It had already been six months since the complaint had been filed by the former Miss India.

Read More: "Nearly 70% Indian Women Musicians Have #MeToo Stories"