#MeTooIndia: The Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) set up a committee to handle sexual harassment cases

The ongoing #MeToo movement in India has taken a series turn with so many allegations that involve big names of B-Town. For this, the Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) has decided to set up a committee that will handle all the ongoing sexual harassment cases. The members included in the committee are Swara Bhasker, Raveena Tandon, Renuka Shahane, filmmaker Amole Gupte, members of PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) and journalist Bharti Dubey.

In an interview given to news agency, CINTAA secretary Sushant Singh said, “We will form a special committee to handle the cases. Raveena Tandon, Renuka Shahane, Amole Gupte, journalist Bharati Dubey, three members of POSH at Workplace (Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the workplace) has agreed to be a member of the special committee. We have sent emails to a few others t join the committee.”

He further stated that, “Every case is different. Allegations on Alok Nath by Vinta Nanda are very serious. She had given us a formal complaint. It was necessary to send him a show cause notice”.

He also stressed that, “No one ever asked Nana Patekar to present his case. It was sexual harassment, misconduct at borderline. We sent him a letter and he replied. The investigation is underway. We can’t take action against anyone without knowing what the police investigation says.”

For Chitrangada Singh it is inspiring to see the change in the society, he further added, “We need to handle Me Too movement with a lot of responsibility and honesty. I am so happy that corrective measures are being taken. It is very inspiring to see the change in the society where truth is being supported. But people should not be forced to join it”.

Tanushree Dutta had received support from CINTAA after levelling charges against Nana Patekar. But according to Sushant Singh the case cannot be taken up now since it is older than 3 years.

A statement from CINTAA reads, “Tanushree’s lawyer has sent us a mail asking us to start or reopen the case, we thought that she would send it herself as we had requested her, now we are consulting our legal cell as to what should be done as she has not even added a cover note, authorizing her lawyer to represent her in her own association. Hope you understand our quandary. She has also sent a copy of her fresh FIR. We are just trying to handle this as correctly as we can, the police have taken her original complaint of 2008, along with all attached papers of that time & kept in their possession. Our General Secretary has also given his statement to the cops”.