Hiren Kotwani (DNA; June 18, 2018)

Following the hearing in the Bombay High Court on Friday, after Armaan Kohli submitted an affidavit expressing remorse over assaulting Neeru Randhawa and fulfilling her conditions, the fashion designer and stylist agreed to settle the issue and withdraw the case against him. She was reportedly paid about Rs 1 crore to cover the damages she has incurred, besides being out of work for three years while she was in a relationship with the actor.

Neeru, who had lodged a complaint with the Santacruz Police Station after he assaulted her, also underwent surgery at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital where she was treated for her injury, on June 3. Calling Armaan a closed chapter, she maintains that it’s not about the monetary settlement. “If it was about the money, then I would have let the case go on for some years. But I wanted to move on,” she says.

Neeru adds that her conditions were fulfilled and she is thankful to the police, the court and the media for supporting her in her fight for justice. Pleased with the court’s caution to Armaan, she says, “In future, if he raises his hand on any woman, she can take him to court and have him put in jail. He has been warned that he won’t get any favours from the court if he misbehaves with any woman.”

When probed if having a British passport helped her to get speedy justice, Neeru disagrees. She reasons, “I’m a woman and I was fighting the wrongs done to me. He has got away with it previously. This time, I wanted him to be punished for his actions. Every woman should ask for help from the police and the court. I don’t think having a foreign passport has anything to do with it.”

About getting emotional in court, Neeru says, “It was heartbreaking to see his father (Rajkumar Kohli), who is 90, stand in court for his son’s wrong-doings at this age. It was stressful to know if he doesn’t get out, there was no one to take care of them (Armaan’s parents). Considering these factors, I decided to withdraw my case.”

To completely put things behind her, Neeru, who had got Armaan’s name inked, plans to have the tattoo removed soon. “That’s the first thing I’m going to do,” she asserts. Rather than look back in despair, she wants to look ahead and resume her career as a fashion designer and stylist again. She has rented an apartment in Mumbai and will be shuttling between the city, Dubai and London as she plans to start her clothing line in the near future. “You will hear more of me, but this time, for my work as I want to establish myself in the fashion industry,” she avers.

When asked about her parents’ advice to her, Neeru says, “My parents are happy with what makes me happy. They have been supportive throughout. Living in fear is not an option for me. I need to work and stand on my feet, whatever hardships come along, that’s a part and parcel of life. I’m, not scared of them.”

THE COURT’S DIRECTIVE TO ARMAAN

The HC felt that Armaan must contribute something to society. He was directed to pay Rs 1 lakh each to Tata Memorial Hospital for the children’s department for cancer and National Association of Blind, Worli, Mumbai, within six weeks. 

On Thursday, a bench of Justices RM Savant and Revati Mohite-Dere sought from Armaan a statement on oath that he would not repeat such behaviour ever again. 

On Friday, Armaan sent the statement from Arthur Road Jail, where he was put under judicial custody since Wednesday. 

The HC also recorded the statement of Armaan’s brother-in-law that the settlement was in place and two additional post-dated cheques of Rs 25 lakh each were paid to Neeru between Thursday and Friday, taking the total to Rs 1 crore.

The fashion stylist spoke exclusively to BT on Friday, after the Bombay High Court quashed the FIR against the actor
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; June 16, 2018)

The Bombay High Court on Friday quashed the FIR against actor Armaan Kohli after he submitted an affidavit expressing “remorse and regret” over the incident of assaulting his girlfriend, fashion stylist Neeru Randhawa. On June 5, BT had first reported how Neeru had filed an assault case against the actor, after he allegedly beat her up over a minor argument at his Mumbai home. Though Armaan was arrested in Lonavala on June 12, by then, Neeru had told us that she might consider withdrawing the case.

With the High Court order yesterday, Neeru is finally ready to put the past behind her and move on. Excerpts from an exclusive interview….

Till a few days ago, you were certain that you wanted Armaan to get severe punishment. So, what made you suddenly withdraw the case?
Everyone is assuming that I withdrew the case following a monetary settlement. I didn’t want him jailed, primarily because of his parents. My motive was to tell all the women, who are victims of abuse, to not feel scared. If they seek help, they will get justice just like me. So, I don’t want any woman to feel discouraged after seeing me withdraw the case; I did so only after my conditions were met. As far as rumours of a monetary settlement are concerned, they are not true at all. I come from a financially sound family, and my reasons were different. To begin with, I am a British citizen and it won’t be viable for me to travel from London to India for the hearings. So, I asked for a compensation to cover the damage I have incurred, including being out of work for three years. Also, Armaan has been put on caution by the court, which means that if he repeats the offence, he will be put behind bars. He has also been asked to do charity for the visually challenged people and children. As far as I am concerned, I have raised my voice against the abuse meted out by him.

We hear that Armaan has given you a written apology...
Yes, that’s true. He also settled the loss of income I incurred over the last three years, when he didn’t allow me to work. I hope this experience has taught him a lesson. I want him to learn from his mistakes.

How has your family reacted to your change of heart ?
My family wanted to come over and be with me, they wanted to take the case to its conclusion. However, I wanted to settle it and move on. For me, Armaan is a closed chapter.

You had become emotional during the first hearing at the Bandra court...
Yes, I did. I was standing in the court, fighting against the same guy I was planning to marry and have kids with. It was an emotional moment for me. I considered his parents as my own.

You said that you are very close to his family. Have they been in touch with you after the assault?
There has been no direct communication, they would contact me through a mediator. Initially, they did try to reach me directly, but I did not take their calls, fearing that they would try to convince me to return. Even Armaan messaged me, asking me to reconcile, but I told him that I did not wish to even talk to him. I sailed through this difficult phase because of my two close friends.

Is there a chance of reconciliation with Armaan?
There is absolutely no chance of getting back with him. That’s why I have taken this route.

What are your future plans?
I am already in talks for some styling and fashion projects. So, I will be shuttling between Mumbai, London and Dubai. I feel relaxed, because I have achieved what I wanted to.

You might have erased his memories, but you still have his name inked on your hand...
I had got his name tattooed when I was in love with him. But now, I want to take it off and be free of all the negativity.