A Mumbai court has dismissed the sexual harassment case filed by former actress Tanushree Dutta against actor Nana Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Sami Siddiqui, and director Rakesh Sarang.
The court ruled that the case could not proceed due to a delay in filing the FIR, making it ineligible under the Limitation Act.
Padma Shkatkar, the legal representative for Patekar and Acharya, released an official statement celebrating the verdict.
“The court has not taken cognizance of the case as it was barred by the Limitation Act due to the delayed registration of the FIR,” the statement read. It also asserted that the allegations were false from the start and targeted her clients unfairly.
The case stemmed from an incident that allegedly took place on March 23, 2008, on the sets of the film ‘Horn ‘OK’ Pleassss’. She filed an FIR a decade later in October 2018 at Oshiwara Police Station. The police conducted a thorough investigation and submitted a ‘B summary report’. This comes in action when the court decides a case baseless or lacking evidence.
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The court found that the complainant did not apply for condonation of delay. It is a legal process when someone files a delayed FIR. Moreover, the lawyer claimed that even with over 100 people present on set during the alleged incident, no substantial evidence supported the allegations.
“My clients were unable to understand why these accusations surfaced after so many years. They have worked hard to build their reputations. Such allegations came with an ulterior motive,” Shkatkar stated.
According to the lawyer, the accusations had a deep impact on Patekar, Acharya, and others named in the case. “For the past seven years, my clients have endured immense trauma, stress, and suffering. I have personally witnessed the toll this case took on them,” she said.
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“Some individuals take advantage of legal provisions to target respected personalities in the industry, causing irreversible damage to their careers,” Shkatkar noted.
The lawyer framed the verdict as a significant moment for men accused in #MeToo-related cases. “This case serves as a beacon of light for all those who have been unfairly targeted. We have always had faith in the judiciary, and today’s verdict reaffirms that belief,” she said.
Tanushree Dutta had initially accused Nana Patekar of inappropriate behavior during a song shoot in 2008, which reignited discussions about workplace harassment in Bollywood when she spoke up in 2018 as part of India’s #MeToo movement.
The case led to intense debates about power dynamics in the entertainment industry, with support and skepticism from various quarters. The ruling raises questions about the challenges survivors face in proving their allegations.