MeToo: Alok Nath booked for rape by Mumbai Police on complaint filed by scriptwriter
Veteran Bollywood actor Alok Nath was on Wednesday booked for rape by Mumbai Police after a scriptwriter, who accused him earlier during a TV interview, filed an official complaint. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Oshiwara police station in suburban Andheri on Tuesday night, a senior police official said.Nath has been booked under Indian Penal Code section 376 (rape), Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone IX, Paramjit Singh Dahiya, said.
Last month, the complainant had told media that she was sexually assaulted by Nath 19 years ago and had vowed to file an official complaint. The writer-producer had submitted a complaint against the actor at the police station on October 17.
After Nanda, several other women came forward with their stories of sexual harassment by actor Alok Nath and recalled their horrifying experiences with him. Leading film and television associations like CINTAA (Cine and Television Artistes Association) and IFTDA (Indian Film and Television Directors' Association) also sent him notices and CINTAA even expelled him.
Alok, on the other hand, had rejected IFTDA's notice on the ground that no police complaint had been filed against him by that time. Instead, he filed a civil defamation suit against the woman producer, demanding a written apology and compensation of one rupee.
The actor's wife Ashu had also recorded her statement before a magistrate in connection with her complaint against the complainant and sought that defamation proceedings be initiated against the writer-producer.
She told the court that their (Nath and Ashu's) reputation has been damaged because of the allegations levelled by the writer.
The complainant had alleged that the actor had raped her 19 years ago.
Though she did not name Nath in her social media post, she referred to him as the actor who is known as the "most Sanskari person" in the field of acting.
Nath is known for playing characters endorsing 'moral values' in films such as "Maine Pyaar Kiya", "Hum Aapke Hain Koun!", "Hum Saath Saath Hain" and "Vivah".
Post sexual harassment and rape allegations by the scriptwriter, Alok Nath neither denied nor accepted the charges and said, "Neither I am denying this nor do I would agree with it. It (rape) must have happened, but someone else would have done it. Well, I do not want to talk much about it as for the matter if it has come out, it will be stretched... We only have to hear to women's stand because they are considered weak."
The #MeToo movement, which began in Hollywood a year ago, has seen thousands sharing their stories of sexual harassment.
The movement has resulted in the fall of Bollywood stalwarts such as Patekar, Sajid Khan, Subhash Kapoor, Vikas Bahl, Subhash Ghai, Anu Malik and Rajat Kapoor.
(With inputs from PTI)
