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Showing posts with label #MeToo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #MeToo. Show all posts

Monday, March 16, 2020

3/16/2020 01:31:00 PM

MeToo News: Kiara Advani Sensational Comments About #MeToo?

MeToo News: Kiara Advani Sensational Comments About #MeToo?

MeToo News: Kiara Advani Sensational Comments About #MeToo?

The revolutionary Me Too movement started in Hollywood and it spread across the planet. Many celebrities and victims of the casting couch camera forward due to this movement. But there are different opinions over this issue. While some support this movement, some others claim that it is that the fault of the actresses who compromised their dignity for offers at that point. Leaving the argument aside, it definitely struck up a conversation about the casting couch and harassment issue.

Bollywood star heroine Kajol recently spoke about this issue and said that it benefitted the feminine actors and technicians within the industry. She says that men are maintaining their distance while approaching women after Mern Too.

Now Kiara Advani, the foremost happening heroine of Bollywood stated that we didn't reach post Me Too stage yet and said that we have an extended thanks to going. She added that ladies are just getting the arrogance in to discuss this issue and it's going to take some longer to become unsuccessful.




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Sunday, June 23, 2019

6/23/2019 01:47:00 PM

#Me Too: Tanushree Dutta-Nana Patekar #MeToo case gets a twist, a new report suggests they weren't even dancing together

Tanushree Dutta had claimed that Nana Patekar assaulted her while dancing on the song, however, an eyewitness clarified that they were grooving at a distance


Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar are currently at war. Nana Patekar, who received a clean chit on the #MeToo case due to no prima facie case (B Summary report). For the uninitiated, A 'B summary' report is filed when police cannot find evidence in support of the complaint and are unable to continue the investigation.

Tanushree Dutta's case of #MeToo was filed against Nana Patekar after she accused the actor of harassing her on the sets of Horn Ok Please. Tanushree, who was supposed to be part of the item song, walked out of the song claiming that Nana Patekar changed shots at end moments to get closer to her and harass her while shooting for the song, touching her inappropriately. In an interview with SpotBoye, Tanushree mentioned how doing the movie was a wrong decision. She said, "Wrong place was Horn 'OK' Pleassss. Wrong people were Nana Patekar, Ganesh Acharya, and the gang. I should not have taken up that film. It all began when I saw Nana Patekar on the set around 6-7 am when he was not required. And mind you, he was staring at me like a freak. I had been told that it was my solo song. I checked with the director (Rakesh Sarang), who then told me that he is required for just one line. He shot for that one line of his but continued to be on the set. When I told him 'Hello', he didn't even reciprocate. Slowly he started coming closer. Next day, he was even closer. And then, he started behaving bizarre. He asked Ganesh Acharya (choreographer, whom I had recommended for that song) to move out, grabbed me by my arm, and started telling me: Idhar khadi ho ja, Udhar khadi ho jaa. He wanted to teach me how I should dance."

However, Bollywood Hungama caught their hands on two witnesses who claim that all the allegations are false. One eyewitness, an actress who was an assistant choreographer then, recorded that Nana Patekar confessed to Ganesh Acharya that he is not a good dancer and hence there were extensive dance rehearsals. The eyewitness mentioned that Tanushree was already training in the studio for three days. This eyewitness added they were confused when Tanushree stormed out, narrating that when the song started, Nana and Tanushree were several feet away, surrounded by 300-400 dancers. Another junior choreographer had a similar experience, adding that the two had to perform the same dance steps, but from a distance.

Tanushree recently claimed that Nana Patekar and the police tampered with evidence and did not let the evidence from her side reach police. “At about 5 am, I got a call from a friend who told me about it. This is disgusting because Nana Patekar has been trying to get a clean chit for a while now. I have also mentioned this earlier in an interview that our witnesses have been getting threat calls, and they are being intimidated and pressured in every way so that they do not record their statements with the police. We have 10 witnesses. Only one-and-a-half statements have been recorded. The others have not even come forward, as they have got threat calls. Cops say that there is a lack of evidence. How will credible evidence be produced, if the accused is making sure that no evidence against him reaches the police? The witnesses that the police have recorded the statements (in his favor) from, are his friends. From the unit present during the time of the shoot back then, no one was really my friend. Also, the witnesses did not say nothing happened, they said, they don’t remember anything,” she told Times of India over a phone call.





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Friday, May 31, 2019

5/31/2019 01:35:00 PM

Latest Update: Fired after MeToo allegations last year, Anu Malik to return as a judge on Indian Idol 11

Reports suggest that Sony TV is in talks with Anu Malik and plans to bring him back on Indian Idol as a judge. Read on for more.


Anu Malik was removed from the judges’ panel on Indian Idol 10 after allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against him. (IANS)

After quitting the tenth season of singing reality shows Indian Idol following allegations of sexual abuse against him by multiple women, musician Anu Malik has reportedly been roped in for the upcoming eleventh season. A Spotboye report claimed that talks between the channel and the music composer are on and Anu is likely to return on the judges’ panel.

Last year, singers Shweta Pandit and Sona Mohapatra had accused Malik of sexual harassment, and later two budding singers also leveled similar allegations against him. Following the allegations, Sony TV, the channel that airs Indian Idol, announced the composer would step down as a judge on the reality show.

Shweta had said in her post that she was just 15 when Malik made her uncomfortable by asking to kiss him. “Had to go back to my worst memory as a teenage girl today to write this and speak up - it's now or never. This is my #MeToo and has to warn young girls about #AnuMalik & let you know your #TimesUp @IndiaMeToo. Thank you @sonamohapatra for speaking up about him & supporting this,” she had tweeted.

Earlier, in an Instagram post, Sona wrote, “To all the young girls & women who are coming out with their experiences with this creep, journalists, ‘fans’ & even kids from college, know that you are not alone. This guy, #KailashKher is a serial predator & has been for years as are many others like Anu Malik in the industry. I cannot be tweeting about everyone cus I work 18 hour work days & have a life to live & breathe in.” Sona had tweeted again on Saturday saying by not taking action against Malik, makers of the show are complicit.

On his part, Anu denied the charges via his lawyer who said “India’s #MeToo movement” is being used for his client’s “character assassination”.





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Monday, March 25, 2019

3/25/2019 07:45:00 PM

#MeToo: Pooja Hegde joins her voice in #MeToo


The MeToo movement has been gaining momentum with the support of each celebrity. Many actresses such as Samantha Akkineni, Kajal Aggarwal, and Aditi Rao Hydari have declared their support for the #MeToo movement and the latest to join is Pooja Hegde.

In an interview, the actress said that #MeToo movement is bigger than one person or one girl. "So many women are coming out with their stories. I hope, the industry also takes a stand and helps to make it safer for the women." Said The Duvvada Jagannadham actress. "This movement is not only about men vs women but is more about making a safe environment. I would appeal to men also to help." She added.

On the work front, Pooja recently scored a blockbuster with 'Aravinda Sametha' which is creating a rampage at the box office. She will be next seen in Akshay Kumar's 'Housefull 4'.



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Thursday, January 17, 2019

1/17/2019 01:38:00 PM

MeToo: Arshad Warsi sides with Rajkumar Hirani says, #MeToo is welcome but it's wrong to accuse anybody without proof


As the father of a young daughter, actor Arshad Warsi said on Tuesday he lauded the #MeToo movement but also believed that it would be wrong to condemn long-time collaborator and director Rajkumar Hirani without any proof. Hirani is the latest name to be called out for sexual harassment with a woman "assistant" alleging in an article in HuffPost India that he sexually abused her more than once between March and September 2018 while working on "Sanju".

Describing him as a "polite, nice and correct" person, Warsi, who worked with Hirani in the "Munna Bhai" series, said he was shocked by the allegations and found it hard to believe them. "I find it wrong to condemn somebody without proper proof or investigation. I would like to know the credibility of the accusation. Till all that is clear, I feel it is not right to accuse someone. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. Unfortunately, we just jump to conclusions," Warsi told PTI.

He said he came to know Hirani well during their many years of association and had never felt for a second that he was a "bad person". "He is a wonderful person. He is a very polite, nice and correct person. So it gets very hard for me to believe something like that and I am not the only one. Everybody is shocked. It is hard to believe," Warsi added.

The actor, who gained popularity as Circuit, a goofy, lovable and loyal sidekick to Munna Bhai in the Hirani directed comedy series, said he also speaks as the father of a daughter and believes that the #MeToo movement, which has swept showbiz and other industries, is a good thing.

"Yes, it is good. It should be happening. I have a daughter and I know that sooner or later she is going to work. I am going to be constantly worried about which guy is going to mess with her, which boss is going to harass her. I will be ready to beat him. "But after this (movement), my headache would be 50 percent less. Whoever it is will think twice before messing up. But there are pros and cons to it. I think one should look at the credibility of the person also," he added.

The actor said it is easier to believe an accusation if you know the person has been bad or has a reputation. Hirani, he said, has always been known as a "thorough gentleman"."If you talk about a person who is known for their bad character, you will say, 'Yeah, sure', it was expected to come out sooner or later. But not him (Hirani). Therefore, it is hard for me to accept or deny anything till I know what the truth is," the actor said, adding that he has not seen any email exchange between the complainant and Hirani so it would be wrong to "already convict a person".

"Maybe she is telling the truth. You don't know so to jump to conclusion is not fair. What if, what we have jumped to the conclusion for is not right. That's my problem because you would have ruined a proper man's reputation for the rest of his life." Asked about the fate of "Munna Bhai 3", Warsi said nothing can be said until Hirani completes the script. But given the current scenario, everything is up in the air, said the actor, who was in the capital to promote his upcoming film "Fraud Saiyyan", which releases Friday.



SOURCE:

Saturday, November 24, 2018

11/24/2018 10:55:00 AM

Breaking News: After Rape Case Filed by Vinta Nanda, Alok Naths Lawyer to Move Court Over the False Charge


A month ago, veteran actor Alok Nath was accused of rape by writer Vinta Nanda. It was reported that after a month, Mumbai Police registered an FIR against Alok Nath under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In her complaint which was filed on October 17, Vinta Nanda had alleged that she was drugged and raped by Alok Nath 19 years ago when they were working on a TV show named Tara together.

Now, the defense lawyer of Alok Nath, Ashok Saraogi, has denied the complaint calling it a false charge against his client. The lawyer, who had appeared in a recent hearing before Dindoshi city civil court for Alok Nath, said that the FIR filed appears to be an improvement on the earlier version of her previous complaint which did not disclose any offense, rape or sodomy. They plan to file a petition on November 23 to quash the FIR. Till Wednesday, November 21, no arrest was made.

Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) had earlier expelled Alok Nath on November 12 after he failed to give an explanation on the allegations made against him.

Over a month ago, in a detailed Facebook post, Vinta Nanda revealed that she was producing and writing for the show and the lead actor would harass women. Vinta did not name the actor in question; the social media has deduced the name of Alok Nath. The veteran actor was the lead actor on the show and has had an image of Sanskari Babuji on camera for several years. Vinta later confirmed that she was indeed talking about Alok Nath if the Sanskaari actor did not make it clear to anyone.

After Vinta’s post went viral, Alok Nath’s wife Ashu Singh had submitted a complaint to seek an FIR against Vinta Nanda for defamation. A week later, Alok Nath filed civil defamation case seeking Re 1 against her as damages. Bombay City Civil and Sessions Court dismissed the case as they found that neither of them could claim that the Facebook post had defamed them.



SOURCE BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA:

Monday, November 12, 2018

11/12/2018 09:26:00 AM

#MeToo: Ex-Miss India Exposes Nawazuddin Siddiqui!


Former Miss India-turned-Actress Niharika Singh broke her silence on the bad experiences she had in the Film Industry. She claimed to have met her ex-boyfriend Nawazuddin Siddiqui on the sets of of 'Miss Lovely'.

 
       
   
In her social media post, Niharika Singh revealed: 'I was at home that morning and Nawaz was shooting all night. He sent me a text saying he was near my building. Then, I invited him for breakfast. Soon after I opened the door, Nawaz grabbed Me…I tried to push him away but he isn't ready to give up and I finally gave in after some time. He told Me about his dream of having a Miss India or an Actress Wife just alike Paresh Rawal and Manoj Bajpayee. I found his confession funny yet endearing. After few months, I discovered his relationships with other Women and Dowry Harassment Case filed by his Wife. I asked him to clean up the mess, be honest with himself and people around him. I also told him that I don't want to see him again'.

The 2005 Miss India received an indecent proposal from T-Series head Bhushan Kumar. Niharika Singh was called to his office for signing 'A New Love Ishtory' and signing amount of Rs 1000 was offered in an envelope. That night, She received a text from Bhushan Kumar - 'I would love to know you more. Let's get together sometime'. She replied - 'Absolutely! Let's go on a double date. You bring your wife. I'll bring my boyfriend'. Bhushan Kumar never sent a text message again.

 
       
   
Niharika Singh revealed about the rude predictions of Bollywood Director Sajid Khan. When a common friend opened her second restaurant, He predicted it would shutdown in an year. Sajid didn't hesitate to say the Actress whom he dated can't survive a day in Bollywood without him. Finally, He dared to say on Niharika's face that she would soon commit suicide. Now, The Beauty Queen says Common Friend opened fourth restaurant as well, Actress attained stardom after dumping him and she managed to stay alive.



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Friday, November 09, 2018

11/09/2018 09:24:00 PM

Akshara Haasan Private Pictures Leaked, Actor Calls Incident Deeply Unfortunate


Akshara Haasan responded to her private pictures being leaked on social media and called it a deeply unfortunate incident.

Actor Akshara Haasan responded to her private pictures being leaked on social media.
Actor Akshara Haasan’s private pictures were leaked on social media on November 5. Following this, the actor took to her social media handle to respond to the incident and shared a statement on Wednesday.

In the statement, Akshara expressed hurt and concern and said, “Recently, some of my private pictures were leaked on the Internet. Who did this or why is not known to me yet. But what I do know that it is deeply unfortunate to make a young girl the victim of such an act only for a pervert mind’s enjoyment. And each time someone shares it with eye-catching headlines to draw more traction, it scars me deeper and adds to everyone’s participation in my harassment and helplessness.”

Earlier, it was speculated that the pictures were morphed, but the actor confirmed they were original in a statement. She added, “It’s particularly disturbing and deeply upsetting to see that at a time when the nation has woken up to the #metoo movement, there are still people out there who would harass and attempt to share private pictures of a young girl in the public eye only to derive some perverse pleasure that appeals only to them.”




A post shared by Akshara Haasan (@aksharaa.haasan) on

The actor also said that she has already filed a complaint with the Mumbai police and the cyber cell team to track down who shared the pictures online. She said, “I have reached out to the Mumbai Police and the cyber cell to seek their help in tracking the person/s responsible for this leak and hope to get to the bottom of this soon. Till then, I can only request that we all learn to live and let live with dignity and privacy and hope that the Internet won’t continue actively participating in my harassment. #Metoo. “

Akshara’s sister, Shruti Haasan showed support for her sister by retweeting the statement online. Father Kamal Haasan is yet to comment on the same.

On the work front, actor Akshara Haasan is a part of Vikram’s upcoming film titled Kadaram Kondan, which is being directed by Kamal’s production banner Raj Kamal Films in collaboration with Trident Arts. She was earlier seen in Ajith’s Viswasam and has been a part of Dhanush and R Balki’s film Shamitabh.



SOURCE:

Saturday, November 03, 2018

11/03/2018 06:21:00 PM

#MeToo: Sajid Khan asked if I would have sex with a dog if he gave me Rs 100 crore, says actress Aahana Kumra


Lipstick Under My Burkha actress Aahana Kumra has accused filmmaker Sajid Khan of indecent behavior as well.

Her accusations come after four women accused the director of sexual harassment last month as part of the #MeToo movement in India, which started after Tanushree Dutta accused actor Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her 10 years ago.

Aahana said in an interview to The Times of India that while Sajid never touched her, he did call her to his house and his room and asked her inappropriate questions.

“I had a meeting with Sajid Khan about a year ago, knowing the fact that he is a shady guy. I met him and he did the same thing that Saloni (Chopra) has written about him. Same drill— you go to his house, you are escorted to his room which is pretty dark. He makes you watch what he’s watching,” she said.

Aahana Kumra clarified that while Sajid did not make unwelcome advances at her, he continued with the conversation in his own room.

She said, "He did not make a pass at me but he wanted to get to know me. When I asked him why can't we sit outside, he said that his mother was sitting there so why trouble her. I asked him to switch on the lights of the room, which he did," she said.

Aahana also went on to say that she was assertive in how she responded to him and let him know that her mother was a policewoman.

“But he still asked me bizarre questions like, ‘Would you have sex with a dog if I gave you Rs 100 crore’? He didn’t touch me,” she added.

Sajid has been accused of sexual harassment by three actresses and a journalist.

He has since stepped down from his position as the director of Housefull 4.

In a Twitter post, the director explained his decision to step down as the director of the film as a 'moral responsibility'.

He wrote, "In the wake of the allegations against me and the pressure being put on my family, my producer and the stars of my 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."

The film’s lead actor Akshay Kumar had also earlier tweeted that he would not work with ‘any proven offenders and all those who have been subjugated to harassment should be heard and given the justice they deserve’.

In the interview, Aahana Kumra also accused casting director Anirban Blah of making sexual advances at her.

Anirban has previously been accused of sexual harassment by four women.

“Anirban Blah met me at the lobby of a five-star hotel and said, ‘There’s a room here. Let’s negotiate there.’ I walked out of that meeting because I wasn’t comfortable. It didn’t go down well with me. That’s ‘normal’ conversation he has with women. The day I chatted with him, I was shaken,” she said.




Today has been an extremely overwhelming day for me! I shared a story of my experiences. Good bad and ugly all of it and I agree I was at fault too in my choices and decisions. Today it has given me the strength to be who I am and the people I choose to keep in my life. It's not easy for anyone and I know that. I changed for myself and my sanity. Thankfully women and men are opening up and speaking fearlessly. For those who stood by me and for those who taught me the lessons. I'm grateful to all! Thank you @mumbaigirl14 @thetimesofindia for being such a wonderful friend who heard me without judgement and gave me the opportunity to share my story. @bombaytimes This poem is relevant to me more than ever now. "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free Where the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls Where words come out from the depth of truth Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit Where the mind is led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake." - Rabindranath Tagore #metoo #metooindia #metoomovement
A post shared by Aahana Kumra (@aahanakumra) on

 However, Aahana says the intention behind taking names isn’t to punish the perpetrators. “I read Anirban’s letter and I am glad that at least he accepted it,” she said.

The #MeToo movement in India was sparked by Tanushree Dutta’s allegations of sexual harassment against actor Nana Patekar. Subsequently, several women have come out and shared their ordeal and have talked about workplace harassment.

Vikas Bahl, Subash Ghai, Rajat Kapoor, Alok Nath, Anu Malik among others are the other alleged sexual harassers.


SOURCE:

Thursday, November 01, 2018

11/01/2018 09:34:00 PM

All You Need to Know About the Legal Implications of the #MeToo Movement


The recent spate of allegations of sexual harassment by several women across professions against their male counterparts has sparked debate in the society regarding the need for their safety against sexual harassment. This has also triggered off the #MeToo Movement in India. However, it has evoked varied responses, with sections of society oscillating between support to the females as well as in support of the men. Hence, it becomes imperative to understand the law for both the victim of harassment as well as the accused.

The criminal justice system in India is hinged on the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, a concept often misused by offenders to hide behind the lethargic rigors of litigation in India. Though criticized, it remains the foundation of criminal law in the country, especially with a view to differentiating between genuine and frivolous complaints.

Until recently, offenses related to sexual harassment of women fell under the archaic provisions of the colonial Indian penal code (IPC) which restricted such cases to the general definition of ‘Assault’, ‘Outraging the Modesty of Women’ and in severe cases of harassment, ‘Rape.’ However, in 2013, the Indian legislature, in due recognition of the rights of a woman, enacted a law for protection of women against sexual harassment at the workplace (on the basis of the Vishakha guidelines framed by the Supreme Court many years earlier in 1997) through ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act’ (POSH).

Though belated, it was a result of several violent sexual crimes against women and sought to herald a new era in which women are more secure at their place of work. POSH defines sexual harassment to mean unwelcome acts or behaviour towards a woman and includes physical contact and advances; a demand or request for sexual favours; making sexually coloured remarks; showing pornography and any other physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. The definition of ‘workplace’ is wide and covers public and private sector enterprises as well as domestic households in which a woman may be employed.

Under POSH, an aggrieved woman is required to make a written complaint alleging sexual harassment at her workplace within three months from the date of the incident. This complaint is to be addressed to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) set up by the organization to inquire into the merits of the allegation/s. If the ICC finds substance in the allegations, it is required to forward the complaint to the police for action under criminal law. Moreover, POSH specifies a time period of 90 days to complete such an inquiry. The ICC is also empowered to grant compensation to the harassed woman.

Evidently, POSH is restricted in its application to harassment cases at the workplace and the penalization/sentencing of an offender is not prescribed under the act itself. The law in this regard, is sole, the penalties prescribed in the IPC.

To ensure that the intent of POSH is truly realized and that the entire spectrum of harassment cases is covered under the law, an amendment to the IPC was duly made in 2013, bringing in a sea change — giving aggrieved women a platform to seek stringent punishment of their harasser/s under criminal law for a range of sexual harassment related incidents. The IPC, as it stands today, replicates the POSH definition of sexual harassment whilst also providing for rigorous imprisonment of up to three years. In addition, crimes such as ‘use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe’; ‘voyeurism’ and ‘stalking’ are now punishable under the IPC with imprisonment terms varying from one to seven years depending on the nature of harassment.

While changes to the substantive law (i.e. the IPC) are welcome, it is crucial that the procedural implementation of such law is pain-free and renders complete justice. Just as the IPC was amended to include sexual harassment crimes, the procedural law governing criminal cases (Cr.PC) underwent revisions to support these new laws. The amended IPC provisions on harassment have all been categorized as cognizable offenses in the Cr.PC, such that a police officer is entitled to arrest an alleged harasser without obtaining a warrant from a magistrate. Further modifications to the Cr.PC include the compulsory recording of an FIR by a policeman in cognizable cases; filing of an FIR by a woman police officer in sexual harassment cases and ensuring that the aggrieved woman is not confronted by her alleged harasser during the trial. Yet another relevant addition to the law is the punishment contemplated for a police officer in case of failure to record an FIR in sexual harassment complaints. The concerned police officer if found in breach of his/her duties could serve up to a five-year rigorous prison sentence.

Given that there are always two sides to a coin, there may be a scenario in which an accused (whilst defending a complaint against him), seeks to clear his name in case of a frivolous or malicious complaint designed to tarnish his reputation. The remedies available to an alleged harasser are mainly two-fold. First, the common known remedy of filing a defamation complaint/suit under the criminal/civil law. If proven, a defamation complaint could lead to a prison sentence of up to two years for the ‘aggrieved’ woman.

Second, the alleged harasser may also file a case for malicious prosecution when a false charge has been levied. Once again, if found guilty of a false charge, the ‘aggrieved’ woman could be sentenced to imprisonment of up to two years. Further, defamation and malicious prosecution are well-established civil remedies under tort law. The accused in a disingenuous charge of harassment can seek compensation for loss of reputation and/or institution of false proceedings under civil law as well. In addition, it is pertinent to note that POSH also provides for the punishment of false or malicious complaints and false evidence.

On a concluding note, the above enactments and remedies are not without criticism. For instance, complaints made under POSH are to be treated as non-cognisable offences wherein a police officer cannot arrest the accused without a warrant, whereas a similar offense under the IPC is cognizable.

Another controversial aspect of the law is that it is not gender-neutral i.e. there is no redressal mechanism for a male who alleges sexual harassment. Additionally, a glaring lacuna appears to be the lack of a prescribed time limit for the disposal of these cases. While the Cr.PC currently envisages a two-month window for speedy and efficacious disposal of rape cases, it does not set any time-frame within which complaints of sexual harassment are to be disposed of. This might prove to be a tiring roadblock for a victim of sexual assault and it could be years before a guilty verdict is delivered.

Siddhesh S Pradhan is an associate at J Sagar Associates. The views expressed in this article are personal and are not reflective of the firm’s or this newspaper’s view.



SOURCE DNA INDIA:

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

10/30/2018 12:35:00 PM

#MeToo: Tanushree Dutta calls Rakhi Sawant a SEX OBSESSED MORON after being accused of being a lesbian


controversial and shocking statements like calling Dutta a lesbian who tried to force herself on Sawant and also called a drug addict. In the press conference, she not only made a mockery of Me Too movement but also diverted our attention from the issue at hand. Tanushree kept mum for a few days before lashing out on Sawant. She denied known Rakhi and claimed that a money and sex-obsessed moron like Sawant’s comments should not be even considered in the first place. She released a statement where she has hit back at Rakhi for all her comments. Here is what she said:

“My Parents always told me to choose my friends very carefully and I learned to live by that advice. I simply avoid at all cost people I think are not good for me. So it's disgusting when uncouth, uneducated dirty, downmarket, classless, characterless, perverted, degraded abominations like Rakhi Sawant claim to ever be friends with me.

Tanushree Dutta talks about Me Too campaign at Aaj Tak panel discussionMandana Karimi, Raveena Tandon, Himani Shivpuri and advocate Nitin Satpute Tanushree Dutta's lawyer attend NDTV’s We the people showMandana Karimi graces a press conference on #MeTooTanushree Dutta spotted at Oshiwara police stationNana Patekar attends a press meetVinta Nanda addresses her allegation against Alok Nath at a press conferenceNana Patekar snapped interacting with the media

The only time I interacted with her was at the international airport lounge when I was flying out of India many years ago for a stage show abroad. After ignoring her desperate advances several times before she somehow managed to catch hold of me only to try to convert me to Christianity which she was endorsing that time. She told me that I will go to hell if I don’t believe in Jesus. Of course, the fanatic fool didn’t have an answer when I asked her the exact location of heaven and hell. Then Rakhi went on to trash Hinduism and murti Puja by calling it devil worship. At this point, I got disgusted with her and told her to back off.I was amazed and shocked by her audacity to have spoken trash about me in 2008 during Horn Ok Pleasss incident without any provocation and yet trying to now just over a year later in 2009 not only trying to be friends with me but putting strange ideas in my head about religion.

I had just started learning yoga at that point in time after seeing the Jesus dream/vision I often talk about in my interviews and I was an agnostic spiritual seeker. It was because of Rakhis ridiculous conversion tactic that I actually decided to read the bible to find if it’s really written anywhere that I will go to hell if I’m not a Christian. I didn’t find this written anywhere but I got so put off with her and her ‘jejus’ that I decided never to step foot inside a church ever again. Years later I heard some really spiritual people and started believing again. I accepted Christ in my heart and slowly fell in love with him. I never converted religions just fell in love with God.

Tanushree added, “These Rakhi Sawants of the world are the kind of people who are the reason the minorities get into trouble in our country. When they are Hindu they talk badly about other religions and when they convert they talk badly about Hinduism. But the good ones get judged by the behavior of these so-called converts. I guess Rakhi is afraid I will tell people about this incident. I had actually forgotten and didn’t bother to respond to her allegations but here: The real reason behind such ludicrous claims. A conversion attempt went bad!”

Calling me the homosexual because I shaved my head. In both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions when one gets ‘diksha’ or initiation into deep spiritual practices or yogic sadhana wherein out of devotion and surrender to God and guru one gives up their identity signified by giving up the hair. Insulting a serious Hindu tradition by calling it a homosexual practice. Shame on you Rakhi!!”



SOURCE Bollywood Hungama:

Monday, October 29, 2018

10/29/2018 10:27:00 AM

I Am Neither Drug Addict Nor Lesbian!


Rakhi Sawant came forward to defend Nana Patekar after Tanushree Dutta had accused him of behaving inappropriately with her during the shoot of 'Horn Ok Pleassss'. She made some sensational allegations against the 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' Actress. In response, Tanushree filed a Rs 10 crore defamation suit against Rakhi Sawant.

While responding on the legal route opted by Tanushree Dutta, Rakhi Sawant threatened to file a countersuit seeking Rs 50 crore. She even dared to allege, 'Tanushree is a guy in the disguise of a woman...a lesbian. She raped Me 12-Years-Ago and touched my private parts. She was a drug addict as well'.

Tanushree Dutta issued a statement to clarify that the allegations made by Rakhi Sawant are just rubbish. 'I am neither a drug addict nor lesbian. I don't even smoke or drink. Allegations against Me are perverted character assassination attempts to shut Me up,' she opined.


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Sunday, October 28, 2018

10/28/2018 01:36:00 PM

Movement Lost Its Way: #MeToo Founder


A year after launching #MeToo Campaign, Founder Tarana Burke feels the movement has lost its way. 'Sexual Abuse Victims raised their hands to say 'Me Too' since October 15th, 2017. Millions of people from all walks of life had come forward to support. #MeToo Movement was a success in its first year because it provided victims a ready-made support group which automatically believes them and wants to hear them,' she said.

Tarana Bruke, however, feels #MeToo lost its way because of undue focus to individual perpetrators and media's thirst for drama/salacious stories. She cries foul that Victims who deserves justice have been sidelined after a point of time. '#MeToo is a cultural movement and fight against Rape Culture, not Gender War, Anti-Male & it's not only for white or famous people. That has to change!,' asserts the Founder.

In 2017, Tarana Bruke launched #MeToo campaign against Sexual Abuse. She received the support of 15 million people within two days and people across the World came to know about the painful stories of many women.



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Friday, October 26, 2018

10/26/2018 07:09:00 AM

Rakhi Sawant Says Tanushree Dutta Raped Her 12 Years Ago



When Rakhi Sawant speaks, there is bound to be an earthquake. She has spoken again and there is an earthquake of sorts in Bollywood. On Thursday, she addressed a press conference, where she said that she was repeatedly raped by former Miss India Tanushree Dutta. She said Tanushree might look like a girl, but she is a man inside. She said she was once her best friend and took her to rave parties, where she smoked weed and made her too to smoke the weed. She said she was innocent and trusted Tanushree, who was her friend in those days.

"12 years ago, she raped me repeatedly. Today I can't remain silent anymore," Rakshi Sawant said. She said that there is a lot of talk of #Me Too and that it's time for #She Too. "Yes... women too rape and I am a victim," she declared.

 
 
       
   
Tanushree Dutta, now settled in England, came to India recently and leveled allegations against award winning actor Nana Patekar. She said Nana had sexually abused her and insulted her two years ago. Nana has not only refuted the allegations, but also threatened to take legal action against Tanushree Dutta. With Rakhi Sawant's latest accusation, the whole #Me Too movement has taken a new and curious twist.


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Thursday, October 25, 2018

10/25/2018 05:30:00 PM

#MeToo: "Somebody tried to rape me", says Alia Bhatt’s mother Soni Razdan


A much needed #MeToo campaign has started in the country with several women from various fields, especially the Hindi film industry, stepping out and narrating their ordeal while naming their perpetrators.

After Tanushree Dutta, Vinita Nanda, Sona Mohapatra, Sandhya Mridul and others shared their #MeToo stories, Alia Bhatt’s mother and noted television and film actress, Soni Razdan has shared her #MeToo moment from the past.

In an interview with The Quint, Soni Razdan said that she has not faced sexual harassment, but was saved from being raped by somebody.

She was quoted as saying, “Like there was an incident that happened to me when I was on a film shoot and somebody tried to rape me, for example, that kind of thing. Luckily they didn’t succeed.”

Even after facing this horrific incident, Soni Razdan didn’t file any complaint against the harasser as she thought that it might affect his family.

Alia Bhatt’s mother said, “You know the only reason I never said anything at that time and it sounds really odd maybe but I realized if I would have opened my mouth then that person would have gone through a lot of problems. He had a family, small children. And at that time I said, ok, nothing really happened, I managed to control it but obviously I never spoke to that person again. I did not, not talk about it because of any shame or anything like that. I felt that I would be hurting his family, whom I knew.”

“But I don’t know, if today it would have happened, I don’t think I would have done the same thing. I wouldn’t have been that magnanimous, I would have complained about it I think,” Soni went on to say further.

Notably, Soni Razdan has also worked with actor Alok Nath, whose name has been listed in the alleged sexual predators in the industry.

When asked about his behavior, the Raazi actress said, “I have seen him behave very very, I would say lecherously after he has been drunk. Even at one time, I wouldn’t say he made a pass at me but I didn’t like the way he was looking at me.”

#MeToo movement is gaining momentum every minute. 

Till now, celebrities like Nana Patekar, Alok Nath, Sajid Khan, Kailash Kher, Anu Malik, and others have been listed in alleged sexual predators’ list. 


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10/25/2018 07:49:00 AM

Govt steps in for CBI, sends Alok Kumar Verma & Rakesh Asthana on leave


A man walks past CBI headquarters in New Delhi

With the internal tussle in the CBI between director Alok Kumar Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana refusing to wane, the Central government stepped in and amid a midnight drama sent both the warring officers on leave. The government also appointed M Nageshwar Rao as an interim acting director of the investigating agency.

Commenting on the unprecedented development, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the CBI director was not cooperating with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). He said that Verma was not making available records and files sought by it related to allegations against him.

After the midnight clampdown, the Opposition targeted the BJP-led government accusing it of removing Verma, who they said had planned to order a probe into the controversial Rafale deal. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley dismissed the charges as "rubbish" saying it was done to ensure fairplay in the investigations into the bribery allegations levelled by Verma and Asthana against each other. "It is absolutely essential to restore the CBI's institutional integrity and credibility. The allegations by two top officers of the country's premier investigation agency has led to a bizarre and unfortunate situation," Jaitley said.

The Centre said the action against Verma and Asthana was taken on the recommendation of the CVC, which met on Tuesday night. The Centre divested the two officials of their functions and powers in respect of cases already registered and said they would be probed under the Prevention of Corruption Act. It said grave allegations of corruption by senior functionaries of CBI against one another had vitiated the official ecosystem of the organisation.

 
 
       
   
"The environment of faction feud has reached its peak in the CBI leading to a potential loss of credibility and reputation of the premier investigating agency of the government. It also vitiated the working environment of the organisation which has deep and visible impact on the overall governance," it said.

The government swung into action after the matter escalated to such an extent that Verma, allegedly to settle scores, started arresting his own men and carried out raids on the residences of Asthana and Joint Director Sai Manohar to arrest them. The CVC also said that that appointing Rao was an interim measure which will subsist till the CVC concludes its inquiry and appropriate decision is taken in the light of the probe.

Rao after taking charge transferred as many as 13 officers. Some of them were allegedly close to Verma, and were probing the bribery charges against Asthana. DSP AK Bassi, who was probing a case against Asthana and allegedly paraded and humiliated DSP Devendra Kumar after arresting in the court premises, has been moved to Port Blair in "public interest". Kumar was allegedly arrested on the insistence of Verma over allegation that he falsified the statement of the accused.

The CBI also re-constituted the team probing the case against Asthana. The agency closed down access to two floors -- eleventh and tenth -- inside the CBI headquarters, where entry is allowed only after permission from the acting director. Sources said that the agency is also checking files and records.

The CBI said that the team set up to probe allegations against Asthana will carry out an "impartial and fair inquiry" expeditiously.

"We are making efforts to have expeditious, impartial and fair inquiry in bribery case against Asthana," said CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal. He added that the team probing the allegations against Asthana has been re-constituted with best officers. SP Satish Dagar, DIG Tarun Gauba and JD V Murugesan are part of team. He also said that the CBI is functioning as a team and there is no rift within.

CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE

Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana have levelled graft charges against each other

THE MIDNIGHT SAGA

11.15 pm  CVC meets and advises government to send Verma and Asthana on leave

11:25 pm  M Nageshwar Rao, interim head of CBI takes charge and begins clean-up

1.15 am  CBI building cordoned off by the city police

 
 
       
   
1.25 am  Acess to Verma’s and Asthana’s offices on 10th &11th floor closed

2 am  Rao transfers a dozen officers and changes investigating officers of several cases.

10 am  Alok Verma moves SC challenging the government’s order

TOP OFFICERS MOVED

Manish Kumar Sinha, DIG and BS&FC, New Delhi transferred to ACB Nagpur Ajay Bassi, IO in the Asthana case was transferred to ACB, Port Blair  Tarun Gauba, DIG ACB Chandigarh to replace Manish Sinha  in Delhi  Jasbir Singh, DIG special crime gets additional charge of HOB BS&FC  Anees Prasad, DIG surveillance moved to administration and personnel wing  KR Chaurasia, HoB of economic offences gets additional charge of DIG surveillance  Ram Gopal HoB, Chandigarh gets additional charge of HOB ACB Chandigarh  Satish Dagar, SP economic offences transferred to AC3  S S Gurm, additional SP CBI transferred to ACB Jabalpur  Arun Kumar Sharma, JD policy is transferred JD MDMA  Sai Manohar, head JD Chandigarh gets additional charge of SIT & TFC zone  V Murugesan, head of zone AC2 (HQ) gets additional charge of HOZ /JD AC1 (HQ)  Amit Kumar, DIG HOB EO3 gets additional charge of the office of JD policy

In the interest of fairness, both Verma and Asthana will sit out by going on leave. A SIT will probe the graft charges against themArun Jaitley, Finance Minister

My removal is patently illegal. The CBI director has a fixed two-year tenure. Alok Kumar Verma, CBI director

The CBI director Alok Verma is trying to thwart investigations in important cases. The allegations against me are false and it’s a conspiracy.Rakesh Asthana, CBI (special director)


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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

10/24/2018 09:42:00 PM

Did Sushant Singh Rajput Really Misbehave With Sanjana Sanghi? Kizie Aur Manny Actress Breaks Silence


Actor Sanjana Sanghi on Tuesday said her Kizie Aur Manny co-star Sushant Singh Rajput never misbehaved with her and reports claiming otherwise are "baseless". A story started doing the rounds on social media about Sushant's alleged misconduct, forcing him to share the screenshots of his conversations with Sanjana where they are seen chatting about their experience of working on the project together.

Sanjana, who is making her Bollywood debut, said she was out of the country and just got to know about the allegations, which are untrue. "On returning from a long trip to the US yesterday, I read several baseless and unfounded stories with respect to misconduct and misbehavior on the sets of our film Kizie Aur Manny. I'd like to clarify that no such incident took place with me. Let's put an end to these conjectures," Sanjana wrote on her Twitter page.

View image on Twitter

Mukesh Chhabra, meanwhile, has been suspended as the director of Kizie Aur Manny amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The movie, which is the Hindi remake of The Fault In Our Stars, was to mark the directorial debut of the casting director.


SOURCE DNA INDIA:

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

10/23/2018 09:37:00 PM

Metoo: Fwice to Issue Non-cooperation Notice to Alok Nath, Sajid Khan


Ashoke Pandit, president of Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association said they approached the FWICE, after receiving an unsatisfactory response from Alok Nath.

Federation of Western Cine India Employees (FWCIE) on Monday said if Alok Nath and Sajid Khan, both accused of sexual harassment, do not respond to their notices, the organization will move a “non-cooperation” notice against them. Ashoke Pandit, president of Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) said they approached the FWICE, headed by BN Tiwari, after receiving an unsatisfactory response from Alok. “We approached our mother body FWICE as we were not satisfied with Alok’s answer and as Sajid Khan has not answered, the federation has issued a second notice. “If they don’t respond a non-cooperation (notice) will be issued against them,” Ashoke told PTI. In a letter to Sajid, IFTDA had demanded an explanation from the director for his alleged offensive behavior within seven days.

A notice was also sent to Alok by the organization. The veteran actor replied to the notice via his lawyer who said Alok wasn’t “answerable” to the organization. Nath was accused of rape by Tara writer-director Vinta Nanda in a Facebook post. Actor Sandhya Mridul has also accused Nath of misbehavior Sajid has been accused of sexual harassment by actors Saloni Chopra and Rachel White and journalist Karishma Upadhyay.

Following the allegations, Sajid stepped down as the director of Housefull 4. He has been replaced by Farhad Samji.


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