Court rejects Tanushree Dutta's allegations against Nana Patekar

Mumbai

A Mumbai court has refused to take cognisance of actor Tanushree Dutta’s 2018 allegations against Nana Patekar, citing a delay in filing the complaint beyond the legal time limit without justification.

Judicial Magistrate NV Bansal noted that Dutta lodged an FIR in 2018 regarding an incident from March 23, 2008. She accused Patekar and three others of harassment during a song shoot for Horn Ok Pleasss. Her claims sparked nationwide discussions and fueled the MeToo movement in India.

However, in 2019, the police filed a final report, stating no evidence was found against the accused. The FIR was deemed false, leading to a 'B-summary' report. Dutta then filed a protest petition, urging the court to reject this report and order further investigation.

The magistrate explained that the alleged offences under IPC sections 354 and 509 carry a three-year limitation under the Criminal Procedure Code. Since over seven years had passed beyond this limit, the court could not take cognisance of the case.

The judge emphasized that allowing such delays without valid reasons would violate legal principles. The court also clarified that it did not examine the truthfulness of the allegations but ruled solely on procedural grounds. As a result, the B-summary report was disposed of, and the case could not proceed further.