Bombay HC: #MeToo campaign for victims, don’t misuse

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday observed that the #MeToo campaign was only for victims and that it should not be misused by anyone to manipulate a victim to level allegations of sexual harassment against anybody to settle “their own scores”. The court said that while it was appreciative of the #MeToo campaign, at the same time it should not be misused.

The court’s observation came while hearing a plea filed by Bollywood director Vikas Bahl seeking a direction to his former partners, directors Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and producer Madhu Mantena, to refrain from speaking to the media or posting on social media about the case in which a woman employee has claimed that Bahl allegedly sexually assaulted her in 2015 in Goa during a promotional tour for the movie Bombay Velvet.

On Friday, senior counsel Navroz Serwai appeared before the court on behalf of the lady, who has alleged sexual harassment at the hands of Bahl. Advocate Serwai however, told the court that the lady was not desirous of being a part of the litigation.

Following this Justice SJ Kathawalla said that if the woman is not willing to pursue the case, then no one should speak about it. “We do not want anybody to manipulate the woman to settle their own scores,” said the judge, adding that the #MeToo campaign was only for the victims and should not be misused by anyone to settle “their own scores”.

The court has directed the woman to submit a signed statement on October 23 stating that she does not wish to pursue the case.