Actor Alok Nath, accused of sexually harassing several women, has responded to a show-cause notice sent to him last week by a top film body, news agency ANI reports. Mr Nath's lawyer told ANI that he denies the allegations of sexual misconduct. Alok Nath, who is best-known for his roles as the patriarch who upholds 'sanskaar' or traditional values, has been accused by writer-producer Vinta Nanda of raping her 19 years ago. He has also been accused of harassment and inappropriate behaviour by actresses Sandhya Mridul and Deepika Amin, as well as other women. The Cine And TV Artistes Association or CINTAA sent Mr Nath a show-cause notice after Ms Nanda revealed her #MeToo story in a deeply detailed and emotional Facebook post.
Speaking to ANI, the actor's lawyer said, "Alok Nath has responded to the notice issued by Cine And TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) against him and has denied all allegations of sexual harassment." The notice required Mr Nath to explain why he should not be expelled from CINTAA, which has also promised Vinta Nanda 'full support' in the event of a formal complaint.
The Federation Of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has also sent Alok Nath a notice.
Alok Nath's lawyer said last week that the actor would sue Vinta Nanda for defamation. Mr Nath himself told ABP News that he could 'neither deny not agree with' Ms Nanda's account of alleged rape, violation and persecution.
Alok Nath is just one of several film and TV personalities to be caught up in the #MeToo movement raging across showbiz, media and other fields. Some weeks ago, actress Tanushree Dutta renewed a decade-old accusation of harassment against actor Nana Patekar, who was then filming Housefull 4 with Akshay Kumar and others. Last week, after multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment against the film's director Sajid Khan, Akshay Kumar announced that work on Housefull 4 was being suspended.
