Our witnesses have been silenced by intimidation: Tanushree after police files closure report

Actor Tanushree Dutta on Thursday slammed the police for filing a report, giving a clean chit to Nana Patekar in the sexual harassment case filed by her and claimed that her witnesses "have been silenced by intimidation."

A 'B Summary' report is filed when the police is unable to find evidence in support of the complaint filed and hence decides to discontinue the investigation.

Soon after the report was filed, Tanushree in a statement said, "A corrupt police force and legal system giving a clean chit to an even more corrupt person Nana who has been accused even in the past of bullying, intimidation and harassment by several women in the film Industry. Our witnesses have been silenced by intimidation and fake witnesses have been put forth to weaken the case. What was the rush to file a B summary report when all of my witnesses have not even recorded their statements yet?"

She added, "I'm neither shocked nor surprised being a woman in India. This is something we all have got used to. I mean if rape accused Alok Nath got a clean chit and returned to movies then surely it was not going to be difficult for harassment accused Nana Patekar to get himself or shall we say buy himself a clean chit to continue to bully hapless young women."

She later added, "....Continue to expose these creeps through social media and other platforms so that in future people would think twice before troubling an innocent young girl. I still believe by the way that I will get justice and victory will be mine! How...only time will tell."

Speaking on the matter, Nana Patekar's lawyer Aniket Nilam said, "The entire allegations against my client Nana Patekar were false from the inception. Truth has the tendency to surface no matter how much one may want to suppress it. My client is innocent and justice will be served."

In September last year, Dutta had alleged that Patekar misbehaved with her on the sets of 'Horn Ok Please' in 2008 while shooting for a special dance number for the movie, and went on to file an FIR against the 'Welcome' star. However, Patekar refuted all allegations.

Earlier in May, amid buzz that Nana had been given a clean chit by the police as no eyewitness had confirmed the incident that was reported under #MeToo, Tanushree claimed it was a false rumour.

The actor issued a statement clarifying that the investigation is still going on while accusing Patekar's public relation team of spreading lies.

Later Tanushree's lawyer Nitin Satpute also confirmed that it was a false rumour and alleged that Patekar was 'intimidating and threatening' witnesses.