In a major relief to Nana Patekar, the Oshiwara police on Thursday filed a closure report in a local court at Andheri in north-west Mumbai, stating that they had no evidence to prosecute the senior actor in the alleged sexual harassment case filed against him by actress Tanushree Dutta.
Confirming the development, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Mumbai police spokesperson Manjunath Shinge said: “Yes. We have filed a B-summary report before a Metropolitan Magistrate at Andheri (west)”.
The investigators file a B-Summary report in a court when they do not find any evidence against the accused person to file a charge-sheet against him and seek a trial.
Reacting to the development, Tanushtree's lawyer, Nitin Satpute said that he would challenge the B-summary report in a court. “The B or C-summary report filed by the police is not final. We will challenge the B-Summary report. After a hearing, if the court – if satisfied -- can again direct the police re-investigate the case,” Satpute said.
Demanding to know as to what was urgency for the police to file B-Summary report in the case of Patekar, Tanushree contested the “clean chIt” given to the senior actor, by alleging: “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”
“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 asked.
“I'm neither shocked nor surprised being a woman in India this is something we all have got used to. I mean if rape accused Alok Nath got a clean chit and returned to movies then surely it was not going to be difficult for harassment accused Nana Patekar to get himself or shall we say buy himself a clean chit to continue to bully hapless young women,” the actress alleged.
It may be recalled that acting on a complaint filed by Tanushree on October 6, 2018, the Oshiwara police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against senior actor Nana Patekar and three others four days later.
After she recorded Tanushree’s statement on the night of October 10 last year, the Oshiwara police formally registered an FIR against Patekar and three others under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to women with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (Assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe her) and section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty o a woman) of Indian Penal Code.
In her complaint lodged with the police on October 6, Tanushree had alleged that the incident took place on March 26, 2008 during the shooting of a song in the film “Horn Ok Pleaseee”. The entire was to be picturised on the actress, while Patekar had only line in the song. She said that before the shoot, she had made it clear to the producer and director that she would not enact or perform any lewd, vulgar or uncomfortable steps in the particular song.
“On the 4th day of the shoot, 26th March 2008, while shooting was going on, Nana Patekar’s behaviour was inappropriate towards me. He was on the set despite his work in the song being over and he was grabbing me by the arms and pushing me around on the pretext of teaching me how to dance. When he was teaching indecently and unnecessarily, then I felt very uncomfortable because of his behaviour and I felt he has outraged my modesty,” Tanushree alleged.
“He (Patekar) told the choreographer and other junior artists to back away so that he could teach me the dance steps through he was not a choreographer and he was not required during the choreography as per my previous rehearsals,” the actress added.
“After the incident, I was under tremendous shock, I suffered psychological trauma, was unable to take up work, suffered huge monetary losses in crores and therefore I decided to take action through film industry by lodging a written complaint with the Cine and TV Artistes Association. The Association decided the matter and passed the order without considering my complaint for apology,” Tanushree stated in her police complaint.
In her complaint, Tanushreee had also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui, director Rakesh Sarang and some MNS workers who allegedly damaged her car and pulled her out of her car, as co-accused.
