Two Mumbai lawyers to help #MeToo victims seek redress
JOURNALISTS HOLD PROTESTS TO EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR WOMEN COLLEAGUES
Two eminent Mumbaibased lawyers, Mrunalini Deshmukh and Vaibhav Krishnan, have volunteered to provide legal aid to victims of sexual harassment and assault, without charging any fee.
Several commentators have said that the Indian #MeToo movement would fizzle out unless legal recourse is taken by or on behalf of women who have spoken up. Judicial redress may now be available for many of these women.
Meanwhile, the Indian Film & Television Directors Association (IFTDA) has issued notices to all the directors who have been named by women for sexual harassment or assault.
Ashoke Pandit, IFTDA president, said notices had been sent to the accused filmmakers including Sajid Khan and Vikas Bahl, seeking their response within 10 days. If they do not respond, their names would be placed on the non-cooperation list, following which the women could approach the two lawyers who have come forward to provide legal help, he added.
‘Time’s up’
IFTDA could not send a notice to one of the first accused, Nana Patekar, since he was an actor and not a director, Pandit said. He also said: “Unfortunately our organisation cannot punish the guilty legally. We can only ask for a boycott of the accused. In this context, we’re very happy that Sajid Khan has been sent on leave from his directorial job in Housefull 4 .By doing this, Akshay Kumar and (producer) Sajid Nadiadwala have set the right tone for the MeToo movement in India.”
Two of the victims allegedly harassed by Khan, — Rachel White and Karishma Upadhyay — narrated their stories to IFTDA. Pandit said “It shook us to hear their experiences. No woman in any workplace should be subjected to this behaviour. There are serial predators in the film industry whom we’ve identified. I want them to know their time is up. We have two of the finest lawyers in the country to make sure they pay for their perversity.”
Call for Akbar’s removal
Meanwhile, as the MeToo movement intensifies in India, a group of journalists yesterday held a protest here expressing solidarity with their women colleagues who are demanding proper implementation of the prevention of sexual harassment act.
The protesting journalists also sought immediate action against those facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
They also demanded the removal of Union Minister M.J. Akbar, who has been accused of sexual harassment by many women journalists, when he was an editor, a few years ago. The scribes held placards with messages that said “accountability begins from the top”.