Alok Nath was accused by writer-producer Vinta Nanda of raping her.
Highlights
- Vinta Nanda has accused Alok Nath of raping her 19 years ago
- Alok Nath denies the charge, demands apology and token compensation
- Two others have also accused Mr Nath in charges linked to #MeToo movement
Actor Alok Nath, accused of rape by writer-producer Vinta Nanda in the #MeToo movement, has sued for defamation, asking for a written apology and Re 1 as compensation. He has filed the case jointly with his wife Ashu Nath.
Alok Nath, known for his roles as patriarch on TV and in films and famously given the "Sanskaari (of traditional values)" tag on social media posts and memes, has denied the charges of sexual misconduct.
Vinta Nanda has accused the actor of raping her 19 years ago. After she came out with her allegation, other women like Sandhya Mridul and Deepika Amin accused him of harassment and inappropriate behaviour.
The Cine and TV Artistes Association or CINTAA sent Mr Nath a show-cause notice on Vinta Nanda's post. The association asked why he should not be expelled from CINTAA. The actor urged that the notice be withdrawn, that he was innocent until proven guilty.
In response to Alok Nath's lawsuit, Vinta Nanda's lawyer said today: "She will not be intimidated by threats and defamation suits which are primarily meant to delay and distract from the gravity of the allegations."
Alok Nath had earlier been quoted by ABP News as saying he could "neither deny nor agree" with Ms Nanda's account of rape and violation on Facebook. The writer had not named him but had identified him as the "Sanskaari actor" who played the lead on her show "Tara".
This is the second defamation case filed over allegations that have surfaced as part of the #MeToo movement in India.
Union Minister MJ Akbar has also sued one of his accusers, journalist Priya Ramani, who was the first to name him as allegations of sex harassment tumbled out against the prominent editor-turned-politician.
The #MeToo campaign began days after actor Tanushree Dutta revived a 10-year-old allegation that she had been sexually harassed by co-star Nana Patekar during the shoot of a film in 2008.
Since then, filmmakers Sajid Khan and Vikas Bahl and singer Kailash Kher have also been named in the campaign.
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