Actor Tanushree Dutta on Saturday submitted an application at Oshiwara police station seeking the filing of an FIR against fellow actor Nana Patekar for allegedly harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008.
Ms. Dutta had recently alleged that Mr. Patekar touched her inappropriately during the filming of a song for the film Horn Ok Pleassss. Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Manjunath Singe confirmed that Ms. Dutta had submitted the application. He said, “Inquiries are being conducted into the matter. No FIR has been registered as yet.”
An officer with the Oshiwara police said Ms. Dutta visited the police station at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday. She was accompanied by her lawyer and the application sought criminal action against the film’s choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Samee Siddiqui. Mr. Siddiqui was recently caught on tape in a sting by a TV channel saying that Ms. Dutta “might have been on her periods” at the time of the incident.
Police sources said the actor in a detailed statement described how she was allegedly harassed on the sets of the fim, and how film personalities connected with the movie tried to refute the allegation when she spoke up in 2008.
Sources said the statement mentions Mr. Patekar touching Ms. Dutta inappropriately under the pretext of teaching her dance steps. Ms. Dutta has alleged that Mr. Patekar asked Mr. Acharya and junior artistes to stay away while he “taught her to dance”.
The officer said, “The statement was accompanied by an application seeking that Mr. Patekar be booked for outraging a woman’s modesty under the Indian Penal Code.”
Ms. Dutta, in her application, has also mentioned that following the incident in 2008, when she refused to shoot for the song and retired to her vanity van, news media were called and some people shouting slogans of the Mahashtra Navnirman Sena had also gathered outside. "The police rescued us and took us to the Goregaon police station and my statement was recorded. However, many parts of my complaint were omitted/deleted and only an FIR of rioting and causing damage was registered while the main culprit was allowed to go scot free," Ms. Dutta has stated in her application, which demands action under sections 354, 354 (A), 509 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code against Mr Patekar, Mr Acharya, Mr Siddiqui, Mr Sarang and MNS party workers.
