Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; April 8, 2015)

The inauguration of a suburban spa on Monday, which was attended by Sushmita Sen, apparently proved to be an unsavoury incident for mediapersons. Sources say they were denied water and refreshments while waiting outside the venue.

A source says, “A few VIPs had been invited for the launch and Sushmita was the chief guest. The waiters at the event were serving soft drinks and the mediapersons were not allowed to have it.” Later, when a photojournalist asked for water, the organisers allegedly turned a deaf ear. An eyewitness says, “Forget about serving refreshments, they did not bother to give us a bottle of water on such a sultry day. One of the mediapersons lost his cool and an argument ensued. Finally, the event organiser had to apologise to the media before the situation could go out of control.”

Maharukh Jokhi, owner of the spa, says, “There was no controversy or issue, but a small confusion which was immediately sorted out. The media was extremely kind and we took care of them to the best of our ability.”