Bhubaneswar: Odia movie producer Sanjay Nayak alias Tutu Nayak was arrested by Commissionerate Police in Bhubaneswar Saturday, a source said.
After the arrest, Nayak was taken to a hospital for medical examination. A court decided to hear his bail petition Monday, following which he was sent to judicial custody.
It can be mentioned here that, a female journalist – identified as Debasmita Rout — Friday lodged an FIR against Tutu Nayak for allegedly slapping her at a movie theatre in Bhubaneswar.
Following the alleged slapping incident, the journalist filed the case at Kharavelanagar Police Station. Based on the complaint, a case was filed under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (use of obscene words in public place) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).
The source informed that the incident took place when the female journalist was taking bytes of artists at the cinema hall’s entrance during an Odia movie release.
The female journalist said “He (Tutu Nayak) was passing through the entrance. If I was standing on the path, he should have asked me to make way. Instead, he slapped me on my cheek from behind.”
Rout went on to say that when she turned around, her boom and phone fell on the ground. Nayak did not apologise to her and left the place smiling, she added.
Rout further said that Nayak left the place without saying a word to her. She demanded action against the movie producer.
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“As she was standing in the middle of the gate, I mildly patted her asking her to give me space,” Nayak added.
Nayak further said that he did not beat her. He also expressed regrets, if the the journalist was hurt.
Director Sudhakar Basant, who visited the police station after the arrest, said Nayak will apologise for his action.
“He wanted to tender an apology to the journalist on Friday, but could not reach her as her phone was switched off,” he said.
Taking suo-moto cognisance of the incident, Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) sought a detailed report from the police by November 20.
Nayak, the president of the Utkal Cine Chamber of Commerce (UCCC), is in the eye of a storm after the industry body “banned” actor Manoj Mishra. He was banned for allegedly engineering a protest in Sambalpur against a film of another actor.
PNN & Agencies