Minister Deepak Kesarkar said there would be fair probe if a complaint is filed against Nana Patekar.
Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar, who yesterday supported Nana Patekar amid sexual harassment allegations and called him an "illustrious personality", today said there will be fair probe if a police complaint is filed against him.
Mr Kesarkar, minister of state for home, also asserted that the government was not biased towards Nana Patekar. He had earlier questioned why Tanushree Dutta, who accused the veteran actor of sexually harassing her on the sets of a movie, did not file a police complaint in the past ten years.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Kesarkar said, "When an official complaint is lodged, police will be able to probe the case transparently so that justice is done to both the sides."
The state government was not prejudiced or biased towards anybody and all were equal before the law, he added. "Yesterday, I had only said that Nana Patekar has done a lot of work in the state as a social worker. A formal complaint will ensure that nobody's name is maligned and justice is meted out to both," the minister said.
Tanushree Dutta has alleged that Nana Patekar misbehaved with her on the set of the film "Horn Ok Please" in 2008. She also alleged that he had the tacit support of the film's makers.