Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui files cross FIR in parking row

A day after a case was filed against actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui for assaulting a woman during a tiff over a parking spot, the actor’s wife on Monday lodged a complaint against five persons of the housing society for rioting, thrashing and threatening the actor. Meanwhile, Siddiqui went to the Versova police station to record his statement. No arrests have been made in either of the cases yet.

The actor, speaking to the media, after recording his statement said, “Being a responsible citizen I came and gave my statement. The society members are with me and the allegations are false, and soon the truth will be out.”

Siddiqui’s manager Arun Pandey said that two men and three women barged into Siddiqui’s office at Yari Road, on Sunday to meet him and give him a notice to vacate the area in front of his office.

“All this while Siddiqui was in the washroom and when he came out, he asked the five people to just keep the notice and leave. There was a confrontation between the two parties before the five people left the actor’s office.”

He further added that the allegations were merely to defame Siddiqui saying, “The complainant, Heena, is not from the society. It is a completely baseless allegation to defame the actor.”

On Sunday, the actor was charged under section 354 of the IPC for assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty. The complainant had informed the police that her 24-year-old daughter had been manhandled by the actor, his brother and his private security guards after a scuffle ensued over a parking spot.

According to the police, the dispute over car parking has been on in the Yari Road society for the past few days. On January 16, concerned authorities of the society had informed the actor in a letter that he must refrain from parking his car in a spot meant for two-wheelers.

The actor’s lawyer, advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, said, “Certain provisions of the Indian Penal Code which favour women are nowadays rampantly being misused by some women to settle personal scores. By the time the truth is actually determined, the name, reputation and image of the accused is already tarnished in the society. In my client’s case he has been made a soft target because he signed a petition alongwith some 20 other members against the secretary. As a matter of fact, the complainant who is not even a housing society member, visited my client’s personal office premises with the secretary and some other persons and purposely created a ruckus with a hidden agenda. In any event, as the complaint filed against my client is absolutely false, there was no need to anticipate any arrest leading to requirement of obtaining bail. I therefore accompanied my client to the police station and got his statement recorded today itself, as it is in his interest to get the said matter investigated immediately.”