Richa Chadha Initiates Legal Action Against Payal Ghosh for Naming Her in MeToo Row

After Anurag Kashyap, Richa Chadha via her lawyer, released a statement against Payal Ghosh’s allegations. In her #MeToo allegations against the filmmaker, Payal reportedly also mentioned the names of Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadha and Mahie Gill. Responding to the same, Richa via her lawyer Saveena Bedi Sachar, released a statement condemning Payal for “unnecessarily and falsely” dragging her name in a “defamatory manner into controversies”. Richa issued the statement on her official Twitter account.

“Our Client ‘Ms. Richa Chadda’, condemns the act of her name being unnecessarily and falsely dragged in a defamatory manner into controversies and allegations being recently raised by third parties.

“Though our Client believes that genuinely wronged women should get justice at all costs, there are legislations that are intended to ensure that women have an equal standing in their workplace and to ensure that they have a cordial workplace in which their dignity and self-respect is protected.

“No woman can be allowed to misuse their liberties to harass other women with unsubstantiated or non-existent, false and baseless allegations.

Our Client has initiated appropriate legal action and shall further pursue her legal rights and remedies in law as may be advised in her best interest,” the statement reads.

Anurag Kashyap, too, released an official statement through his lawyer on his official Twitter account. “These allegations are completely false, malicious and dishonest. It is sad that a social movement as important as the #metoo movement has been co-opted by vested interests and reduced to a mere tool for character assassination. Fictitious allegations of this nature seriously undermine the movement and seek to unconscionably trade upon the pain and trauma of actual victims of sexual harassment and abuse. My client has been fully advised of his rights and remedies in law and intends to pursue them to the fullest extent,” the statement read.

For the uninitiated, last week on Saturday evening, Payal took to her verified Twitter account and accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexual harassment. She tagged the office of the Prime Minister of India in her tweet.

“@anuragkashyap72 has forced himself on me and extremely badly. @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji, kindly take action and let the country see the demon behind this creative guy. I am aware that it can harm me and my security is at risk. Pls help!,” Payal had tweeted.