Mumbai: A Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Andheri has officially closed two criminal cases related to sexual harassment allegations against actor Nana Patekar and three others—choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang, and producer Abdul Sami Abdul Gani Siddhiqui. The cases were filed by actress Tanushree Dutta during the ‘Me Too’ movement in 2018.

Allegations and Legal Proceedings

Dutta had filed two First Information Reports (FIRs) at Oshiwara police station—one on October 5, 2018, and another five days later. She accused Patekar and the others of outraging and insulting her modesty on the sets of a Hindi film, with incidents allegedly occurring in March 2008 and October 2010.

However, following an investigation, the Oshiwara police found no incriminating evidence and declared the complaints as false. As a result, they submitted summary reports recommending the closure of the cases.

Court’s Ruling on Case Closure

On Friday, Metropolitan Magistrate NV Bansal ruled to close the first case, citing that the police filed the closure reports beyond the period of limitation.

The magistrate noted that Dutta’s 2018 FIR was filed under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty) and 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, since the alleged incident took place on March 23, 2008, it fell outside the three-year limitation period outlined in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Regarding the second incident, where Dutta had made specific allegations against Abdul Sami Abdul Gani Siddhiqui, the court found no mens rea (guilty intent) on his part, stating that there was no legal basis to proceed against him.

With this ruling, the legal proceedings against Nana Patekar, Ganesh Acharya, Rakesh Sarang, and Siddhiqui in the Tanushree Dutta case have come to an end.