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Nana Patekar, Vivek Agnihotri Slap Tanushree Dutta With Legal Notices, She Responds

byJinal Bhatt
4th October 2018
3 minute read

Tanushree Dutta, with her alleged revelations about veteran actor Nana Patekar all the way back from 2009, has managed to create quite the tumultous waves in Bollywood. Many celebrities, quite recently Freida Pinto, have chosen to stand in solidarity with the actress, while others have chosen to avoid commenting on the scandal. And then, of course, there’s Shakti Kapoor who tried to inject some unnecessary dose of humour in the situation.

Media had quoted Nana Patekar saying that he was planning to initiate legal action against Tanushree. However, the actress had denied receiving any legal notices.

However, Tanushree has finally revealed that she has been slapped with not one but two legal notices—from Nana Patekar and her Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets director Vivek Agnihotri.

Image Source: Twitter

ICYMI, Tanushree had alleged that Vivek made an indecent demand of her while shooting a song for the movie. Her co-stars Irrfan Khan and Suniel Shetty had then come to her rescue and defended her.

Responding to the notices with an official statement, Tanushree called the notices ‘the price she had to pay for speaking out against the injustice that was meted to her’.

Here’s her official statement, as reported by Zoom:

“I have been slapped with two legal notices today. One from Nana Patekar and another from Vivek Agnihotri. This is the price you pay for speaking out against harassment, humiliation and injustice in India.”

“Both Nana’s and Vivek Agnihotris teams are on a smear campaign against me by constructing outright lies and misinformation on social media platforms and other public platforms. Their supporters are coming ahead and weaving damming allegations against me even shouting at the top of their voices at press conferences.”

 

Tanushree further alleged that two unknown men attempted to get into her home despite her police security.

“Today while I was at home and the police personnel posted outside my home were on a lunch break two unnamed suspicious individuals tried getting into our home uninvited but were stopped just in time by security personnel in the building.”

She also alleged involvement of MNS party in the threats she has been receiving and remarked at how such court cases in India get dragged on and on for years.

“Later the police came back from their break and secured the premises again. Violent threats are being issued against me by the MNS party. I’m being threatened to be dragged into the court and legal system of India which we all know can keep a woman and her supporters as well as  media silent on the pretext of “matter subjudice” but can also further be used to harass her and drain her out financially. “Tareek pe Tareek pe tareek” and the dawn of justice never arrives and her whole life goes waste awaiting justice while witnesses are intimidated, discredited or  simply drained of their will to stand up. False witnesses supporting perpetrators conjured up to furthur weaken her case. Court cases can run for decades without a hope for a conclusion. At the end an empty shell remains, broken hopes, A life wasted, defeated. This is the age old saga of survivors in our nation.”

“I walked away once from the same environment that was created for me 10 years ago.. Found God, found my healing, found my peace and a new life in United States of America. And now I stand to lose this new life too if I allow myself to get embroiled in the court system of India. And you wanted to know why the me too movement hasn’t happened in India…This is why….”

Only yesterday, media was abuzz again when the the Cine and TV Artists’ Association (CINTAA) issued an official apology to Tanushree Dutta, admitting that her sexual harassment allegations against Nana Paterkar a decade ago weren’t handled properly.

It now remains to be seen how this case unfolds. Will justice finally be meted out? Innocent until proven guilty, of course. But what will happen if proven guilty? Will Tanushree Dutta’s voice bring forth Bollywood’s #MeToo or will it be lost in the fight for justice as she claims in her statement?

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