Recently, Mumbai Police gave a clean chit to Bollywood actor, Nana Patekar in a sexual harassment case filed against him by actress Tanushree Dutta. Dutta had alleged Patekar of behaving inappropriately with her on the sets of Horn Ok Pleassss in 2008. In its closure report, the Mumbai Police also stated that the allegations levelled against Patekar were “false” and were made with “malicious intent.” The report stated, “There was a malicious intent and false complaint was filed by Tanushree Dutta against Nana Patekar.”
Dutta has now claimed that witnesses were intimidated and fake witnesses were planted in order to weaken the case. She has also indicted the police of taking bribe from the accused (Nana Patekar) and giving him a clean chit in return. She said, “The police were hand in hand with the accused right from day one.” She added, “I want to ask how much money did Nana and his people pay the police to file such a report and call me a malicious liar.”
Tanushree Dutta has also accused the police of lying in its closure report and tampering with the evidence. In her statement, she said, “The Mumbai Police lied in its report to the court that my complaint with CINTAA did not have sexual harassment in it. They were given the copy of my handwritten 2008 complaint to CINTAA that clearly mentioned sexual harassment corroborating my 2018 FIR. In 2008 they had refused to even take my FIR and twisted and manipulated the complaint to protect the accused. Also, everyone remembers that CINTAA had issued a written apology for not addressing that complaint. This apology by CINTAA was widely published in media and we even gave the cops a copy of that apology to prove that. This is corruption at its grossest level. How can they twist evidence like that and completely turn it against me and in favour of accused??”
However, she did not only blame the police but also questioned PM Modi over the entire issue. She questioned him for the kind of vision he has for the country and also asked why daughters in the country led by him had to face such harassment. She said, “Modi ji..what happened to a corruption free India?? A daughter of the country gets harassed by a serial offender, attacked by a mob in public, denied justice over and over again and her name is maligned, she is threatened, pressurised, her career is destroyed and literally driven out of the country to live a life of anonymity and your police force say her complaint is false and malicious!!! Yehi hai apka Raam Rajya?? Being born in a devout hindu family maine toh suna tha ki Raam naam satya hai toh phir kyun is desh mein asatya aur adharm ki bar bar Vijay hoti rahi hai?? Jawab dijiye mujhe.”
Here, it must be understood that Nana Patekar has been cleared by the police before the judiciary. This is essentially a part of the law enforcement mechanism involving the police and the judiciary. As such PM Modi does not have the occasion to intervene since it would constitute a gross violation of the judicial process and the independence of the judiciary. The Constitution prescribes certain limitations on the powers of every wing of the government. As such no wing of the government should transgress its limits and occupy the position held by any other wing.
If Tanushree Dutta has a concern or any evidence suggesting the police had taken a bribe, the media and the PM Modi are not the people who ought to be addressed about it, but the judiciary. Mere allegations on the police without any evidence cannot really lead to a presumption against the Police or the accused. And even if there is evidence to that effect, it is for the judiciary to decide upon it. Now, where an issue falls entirely in the realm of law enforcement and judicial process, it is highly unfair to drag in the PM Modi and question him about the Investigation and judicial process.
