Tanushree Dutta wants crime branch to probe her sexual harassment complaint against Nana Patekar

Tanushree Datta’s lawyer Nitin Satpute on Tuesday mailed his letter to the CP and has raised several lacunae in the probe conducted by Oshiwara police. He has claimed that the police deliberately did not record the statements of several witnesses who supported Dutta’s claim.

Actress Tanushree Dutta’s lawyer has approached the Mumbai commissioner of police (CP) to transfer the probe of sexual harassment against actor Nana Patekar, to the crime branch.

Mumbai, India - October 12, 2018: Tanushree Dutta poses for photographers outside Media House in Andheri in Mumbai, India, on Friday, October 12, 2018. (Photo by Satyabrata Tripathy/Hindustan Times) (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT File Photo)

Her legal team has also urged the commissioner for direction to withdraw the B summary report filed by the police in the case.

Datta’s lawyer Nitin Satpute on Tuesday mailed his letter to the CP and has raised several lacunae in the probe conducted by Oshiwara police. He has claimed that the police deliberately did not record the statements of several witnesses who supported Dutta’s claim.

In June, Oshiwara police had filed a B-summary report in a metropolitan magistrate court at Andheri, seeking to close the case, claiming that there is no evidence to substantiate the complaint. The police also claimed that Dutta’s allegations against Patekar were “false and revengeful in nature”.

Dutta had filed a complaint against Patekar on October 10, 2018, claiming that Patekar had allegedly touched her inappropriately while shooting for a song-and-dance sequence on March 26, 2008, on the sets of the film Horn OK Please.

In her complaint, Dutta said she was initially told the dance would be a solo performance, with only a brief appearance by Patekar. However, she said Patekar started teaching her the dance steps and pushed and pulled her towards him. Dutta mentioned that she had complained about the actor’s behaviour to the producer, director and choreographer, but they only included more of Patekar in the song.

Patekar has on several occasions denied all allegations.