Vinita to take legal recourse; Sandhya Mridul exposes Alok Nath

After being accused of rape by writer Vinita Nanda, actor Alok Nath has allegedly said that he neither confirms nor denies the charges. In an unverified statement, the actor is quoted as saying, “Neither I am denying this nor do I would agree with it. It (rape) must have happened, but someone else would have done it. Well, I do not want to talk much about it as for the matter if it has come out, it will be stretched... We only have to hear to women’s stand because they are considered weak.”

And Vinita is not amused by his seemingly flippant response. “No regret, so sorry. Just a sexist smirk is all that he has provided. If he had apologised I’d have considered moving on. But now I am willing to see this through to its logical end,” she says.

The enraged writer adds, “What else can we expect from him? He shows no remorse for what he did because that’s the way he is. I am so glad to have finally been heard. The pain has been with me for 19 years. Now I feel free.”

Vinita adds, “I am consulting with my legal team. Taking the legal route seems the best possible option You can’t stifle my voice any longer,” she says, adding, “Alok claims he made my career. How did he do that, I wonder?”

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that Vinita has spoken about the alleged rape. A few years ago, she mentioned it in a magazine interview. “But it didn’t get much attention. Perhaps the time for action against sexual offenders has come now.”

Meanwhile, actress Sandhya Mridul known for films like Angry Indian Goddesses and Page 3, also voiced her story of sexual harassment by Alok Nath, in a Twitter post yesterday. The actress recounted how the actor “lunged” at her screaming, “I want you, you’re mine,” while shooting for a telefilm in Kodaikanal. The actress was so traumatised by the incident that she needed someone in her room to give her company.

In another incident, journalist Ghazala Wahab recounted her harrowing story of sexual assault by Member of Parliament and veteran journalist M. J. Akbar, in a detailed article on The Wire.

She narrated several instances of how Akbar had changed her cabin to a spot right opposite to his and forced himself on Wahab multiple times after calling her into his cabin. She wrote, “In the last 21 years, I had put all this behind me. Even though occasionally I had nightmares. Maybe now the nightmares will stop (sic).”