MeToo: Tanushree Dutta records statement with Mumbai police

Mumbai, Oct 10: Actor Tanushree Dutta on Wednesday visited suburban Oshiwara police to record her statement in connection with a complaint of sexual harassment filed by her against actor Nana Patekar, a police official said.

Dutta has accused Patekar of touching her inappropriately on the sets of a Bollywood film in 2008.

"Dutta reached the police station at around 7:30 PM to record her statement in the matter. The process is on," the official said without elaborating.

In her complaint filed on Saturday, Dutta claimed that during the shooting of a song sequence for the film, she was inappropriately touched by Patekar even after she had clearly mentioned that she will not perform lewd, vulgar or uncomfortable steps.

Dutta had also claimed that she had complained to the song's choreographer Ganesh Acharya, but she was forced to do scenes which were intimate and included Patekar touching her inappropriately. After she decided to walk out of the film, her car was vandalised by goons who, she alleged, were from the Raj Thackeray-led MNS, Dutta had stated.

The Maharashtra State Commission for Women on Tuesday issued notices to Patekar, producer Samee Siddiqui, Acharya and director Rakesh Sarang. The commission also wrote to Mumbai police, seeking information on the action it had taken on Dutta's complaint. Patekar has denied he misbehaved with Dutta on the sets of the film, calling her claims a "lie". The 67-year-old actor's lawyer has sent a legal notice to Dutta.

PTI