DNA (October 21, 2018)

On Friday evening, the second hearing of the Rs 10 crore defamation case filed by Vikas Bahl against Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane was heard in the Bombay High Court. In the earlier hearing on Wednesday, Justice S J Kathawalla, who is presiding over the case, had passed a directive that the girl, who was allegedly sexually harassed by Bahl, should be made a respondent. However, now she has stated that she doesn’t want to file a complaint against the filmmaker.

She has been quoted saying in her statement: “I have had enough and I am still suffering at the hands of this man even after three years. I do not want to be involved in litigation, so I’ll not file an affidavit. I’ll only put out a statement.” At the same time, her lawyer, Senior Counsel Navroz Seervai told the court that his client stood by the statements she had made against Bahl in the media.

Slamming Kashyap and Motwane for not being able to present a witness, the court stated that the #MeToo Movement can’t be misused by anybody to make allegations of sexual harassment.

During the hearing, Justice Kathawalla also said a committee comprising men and women should be set up to look into such matters. The next hearing has been scheduled for October 23.