The Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) on Wednesday suspended filmmaker Sajid Khan for one year over complaints of sexual harassment.
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The 48-year-old has been accused of sexual misconduct by actor Rachel White, assistant director Saloni Chopra and journalist Karishma Upadhyay.
The IFTDA, in a statement released on Wednesday, said, “Mr. Sajid Khan was given an opportunity to put forth his defence. He did not give any explanation, response or defence to the allegations of sexual harassment.” It said that Mr. Khan had not accepted the charges of sexual molestation made by the complainants, but had admitted that his behaviour and language was impolite, he had been brash and used abusive language with his friends, both men and women. He admitted that he had sexual relations with women, but with their consent, the statement said.
The decision came after a month-and-a-half-long deliberation and investigation by the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) set up by the IFTDA in keeping with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) guidelines. On December 7, the committee submitted its closure report, which was followed by a unanimous decision to suspend Mr. Khan.
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‘He should own up’
Ms. Upadhyay posted on Twitter: “A one-year suspension might not seem like a lot but it’s a beginning.”
Ms. Chopra said, “I think it’s important for [Mr. Khan] to own up to his doings for anything in our country to change in the right direction. For now, I am glad for the decisions IFTDA has made, change must begin somewhere.”
Speaking to The Hindu , IFTDA honorary president Ashoke Pandit said, “The POSH committee or any organisation or association is not a court or a police station. There are legal processes in place and we as an organisation cannot put a lifetime ban on someone. That can only be done by the judiciary. As an association, our intention is to teach a wrongdoer a lesson.”
Review after a year
Mr. Pandit also said that decisions couldn’t be made in an emotional capacity which would then “fall flat” later. “It’s a very complicated issue and we want to be proactive and we want the industry to be clean, to ensure that the dignity of every man and woman is protected. But we as an organisation have our own limits.”
He said the suspension would be reviewed a year later. “The committee will take another call then,” said Mr. Pandit. “The entire POSH committee and we were shaken up with the narration by the complainants. We thought this sickness has to go and we won’t end our mission here.”
After the four women shared their experiences online in October, during the #MeToo movement, actor Akshay Kumar cancelled shooting for Housefull 4 , which was being directed by Mr. Khan.
In a statement posted on Twitter at the time Mr. Khan had said, “In the wake of the allegations against me and the pressure being put on my family, my producer and the stars of the film Housefull 4 , I must take the moral responsibility of stepping down from my directorial post, till the time I can allay the allegations and prove the truth. I request my friends in the media to kindly not pass judgment till the truth is out.”
A few days later, the IFTDA had issued a show-cause notice to Mr. Khan regarding the accusations made by complainants.