Photographer denies shooting Preeti nude; apologises

Mumbai, May 9 (UNI) Fashion photographer Sandeep Roda, today made a dramatic U-turn, staunchly refuting his claim of having shot model-cum-aspiring actor Preeti Jain in the nude, and alleged that film maker Madhur Bhandarkar had manipulated his (Sandeep's) statement for his personal benefit.

The Delhi-based lensman, in a joint press conference with Preeti, also asserted that she neither blackmailed nor threatened him.

Sandeep also said he will sue Bhandarkar and Geetashri, a journalist from an English magazine, for allegedly carrying his ''manipulated and false statements.'' Incidentally, Sandeep's statements in media two years ago that he had reportedly shot photographs of Preeti in the nude and that she was ''characterless'' had been the basis of Bhandarkar's bail plea in the rape case lodged against him by the model. She later took him to the court over the issue.

Addressing the mediapersons, along with Preeti, Sandeep while tendering an apology to the actor said, ''...Preeti Jain never blackmailed me. She has never threatened me in any manner and I have never shot nude photographs of her.'' ''My statements in the media had been manipulated by Madhur Bhandarkar for his own personal benefit at the time of the pendency of his anticipatory bail plea in a sessions court in July, 2004, in the rape case filed by Peeti Jain against him,'' he said.

He further said, ''I tender my sincere apology to Preeti for the defamation and mental agony she suffered with her image being tarnished because of my prior manipulated statements in the media. I have utmost respect for Preeti.'' When the mediapersons asked Preeti as to why the apology came so late, she replied that, ''Two years is a very short time. Some cases go on for as long as five years.'' ''Our system is such that when a woman accuses a man of rape, she is perceived as characterless and one having no credibility.

This is a normal strategy followed by lawyers of the opposite side,'' she said.

''Finally, what I have been saying for the last two years has proved to be true,'' the aspiring actress said.

''We will not get any monetary compensation by suing Madhur or Geetashri, it is a matter of ethics and protocol. The only person who would have benefitted that time with manipulated statements was Madhur Bhandarkar,'' she stressed.

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