Tanushree-Nana #MeToo case: Key witnesses scared to records statement, claims lawyer

Agencies
May 18, 2019

Mumbai, May 18: Key witnesses are not coming forward to record their statements before police in the sexual harassment case filed by Tanushree Dutta against veteran actor Nana Patekar and others, due to fear of the accused, her lawyer has claimed.

Dutta had filed a complaint in October last year, in which she had alleged that on the sets of "Horn Ok Pleassss" in 2008, Patekar had touched her inappropriately on the pretext of showing her dance steps, and also insisted on starring in the song sequence, which was supposed to be a solo performance. She had also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui and director of the film Rakesh Sarang in her complaint. Based on her complaint, the police had registered a case against them.

Talking to reporters on Friday evening, Dutta's lawyer, Nitin Satpute, claimed that although a number of witnesses have recorded their statements before the police, the key witnesses of the incident are not coming forward to so due to fear of the accused. "Police have recorded the statements of almost 15 witnesses, but key eyewitnesses of the incident have not recorded their statements. They are not coming forward because of the fear of the accused as they are highly influential people," he said.

Satpute said one woman eyewitness is not ready to support Tanushree's version now as she was made to face legal issues 10 years back. "If the accused are arrested, then the witnesses will feel safe and they will come forward to record their statements," he added. He also dismissed the "rumour" that police have given a clean chit to Patekar in connection with the case, which was registered at Oshiwara police station.

"No clean chit has been given to Nana Patekar or other accused. It cannot be given orally and can be approved only by the concerned magistrate," Satpute said. "These rumours are being spread as the accused have stopped getting work in the film industry," he added.

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News Network
June 27,2020

New Delhi, Jun 27: Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Friday condemned the alleged custodial deaths of a man and his son who were arrested for allegedly violating lockdown restrictions in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu on June 19.

The 37-year-old actor who is currently staying with her husband Nick Jonas in America took to Twitter to post her statement and asked for the guilty to be punished.

"Reeling from what I'm hearing. Absolutely stunned, sad, and angry. No human being deserves such brutality, whatever be their crime," said Jonas.

"The guilty must not be allowed to go unpunished. We need facts. I cannot even begin to imagine what the family must be going through," she added.

Priyanka went on to urge people to use their collective voice to seek justice for the deceased.

"Sending strength and prayers. We need to use our collective voices to seek #JusticeForJayarajandBennicks," her statement further read.

The father-son duo from Tuticorin was allegedly brutally punished by the police before succumbing to injuries.

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News Network
January 15,2020

Chennai, Jan 15: Superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday called for neutrality in journalism and urged media outlets to report the truth.

Addressing an event organised by Tamil magazine ''Thuglak' in Chennai, the superstar-turned-politician said that the country needs a journalist like the late Cho S Ramaswamy, who helmed the publication for decades.

"The times, politics and society are going bad. In such a scenario, the media had a huge responsibility towards the people," he said.

Some television channels are biased towards political parties, Rajinikanth said. He added that media, critics and journalists must report the truth impartially.

Comparing true news to milk and fake reportage to water, Rajinikanth said people will not be able to distinguish between the two if they are mixed.

"Only journalists need to tell which portion is milk and which is water...write the truth and don't make a lie seem like truth," he said, amid applause.

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News Network
February 3,2020

Feb 3: Actor-cum-activist Swara Bhaskar on Sunday targetted the Central government over granting Padma Shri to Pakistan-origin singer Adnan Sami who became an Indian citizen in 2016.

Addressing "Save the Constitution, Save the Country" rally here in Madhya Pradesh, Bhaskar said that passing the new citizenship amendment act tantamount to "betrayal" of the Constitution.

Sami, born in London to a Pakistani Air force veteran, applied for Indian citizenship in 2015 and became a citizen of the country in January 2016.

He was one of the 118 people chosen for the Padma Shri awards by the Centre last month.

"The legal process to grant citizenship to refugees and arrest infiltrators already exists in India. You (the government) have granted Indian citizenship to Adnan Sami and now selected him for Padma Shri through that process. (If this is the case) What is the need and justification for the Citizenship Amendment Act?" Bhaskar asked.

"On the one hand you abuse us (anti-CAA protesters), cane-charge us, slap us, hurl teargas shells at us and on the other hand you award Padma Shri to a Pakistani," she said

Bhaskar said the government labels some people as the members of "tukde-tukde gang" and anti-nationals" as per its convenience.

"Supporters of the CAA and the NRC keep harping about the so-called infiltrators having entered our country. If that is the case then why are we unable to see these intruders?" she asked.

"The problem is that they have intruded into the minds of the government and the ruling party," she said.

Bhaskar said the government seems to have "fallen in love with Pakistan".

"It sees Pakistan everywhere. My devout grandmother doesn't chant Hanuman Chalisa as often as this government keeps chanting the Pakistan mantra," she said.

Without naming the RSS, the actor said, "Sitting in Nagpur, these people are spreading politics of hatred".

Bhaskar said Pakistan chose to become a religious nation after the Partition in 1947 unlike India which opted to become a "secular republic where one's religion has nothing to do with citizenship".

"(Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali) Jinnah died a long ago, but his admirers want to divide the country again in the name of a religion," Bhaskar said.

She criticised BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya for his controversial remarks about the 'presence' of Bangladeshi infiltrators in Indore, after some labourers were found eating poha and not rotis.

"If poha is Bangladeshi cuisine, then Kailash Vijayvariya, who grew up eating poha (in Indore), should be required to show his Indian citizenship papers," she demanded.

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