Bahl accuser withdraws MeToo case, says she has had enough

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, October 20

A woman crew member of Phantom Films who had accused filmmaker Vikas Bahl of sexually harassing her nearly three years ago has decided not to pursue the case.

Her counsel Navroz Seervai told the Bombay High Court on Friday that the woman did not wish to pursue the case.

Instead of appearing in court, the woman put out a statement via her counsel. “I have had enough and I am still suffering at the hands of this man even after three years. I do not want to be involved in litigation so will not file an affidavit,” the counsel read from her statement in court.

The Bombay High Court is hearing a defamation suit for Rs 10 crore in damages filed by Bahl against former partners — filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane — who were part of Phantom Films.

The company had produced movie “Bombay Velvet” in 2015. It was during the promotion of the film in Goa that the alleged incident of sexual harassment had taken place.

Media reports quoting the survivor had stated that Bahl had harassed her and his business partners did not do anything about it.

In his plea before the High Court, “Queen” director Bahl alleged that Kashyap and Motwane, among others, took advantage of the ongoing #MeToo movement in India and published “false, malicious, unsubstantiated imputations, allegations and statements” against him through their social media platforms.

Further in his plea, Bahl had referred to an interview by the victim where she hit out at Kashyap for dissolving the company citing the harassment issue. “...the issue was in cold storage for months. I had moved on. And one day suddenly, (Kashyap) woke up and said he wanted to set things right. It didn’t seem right to me. Something seemed off. I felt like it wasn’t done for me, but for some other gain,” according to excerpts from the woman’s interview quoted by Bahl’s lawyer in court.

Justice SJ Kathawala also agreed with the woman’s contention about the timing of the action taken by Kashyap and Motwane. “If the woman says she does not want to pursue the case, then no one can fire from her shoulder. I don’t want her to be used by anyone,” he remarked.

The court also noted that the #MeToo campaign was for victims to come out and complain. The matter has been adjourned to October 23.