#MeToo Movement Only For Victims, Shouldn't Be Misused: HC
The Bombay High Court said Friday the #MeToo campaign was only for the victims, and it should not be misused by anyone to manipulate a victim to level allegations of sexual harassment against anybody.
The
Bombay
High
Court
said
the
#MeToo
campaign
was
only
for
the
victims,
and
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
remarks
were
made
by
Justice
Shahrukh
Kathawalla
when
hearing
an
application
filed
by
director
Vikas
Bahl
seeking
a
direction
to
his
former
partners
and
directors
Anurag
Kashyap,
Vikramaditya
Motwane
and
Madhu
Mantena
to
refrain
from
speaking
to
the
media
or
posting
on
social
media
about
the
case
in
which
a
woman
employee
has
alleged
she
was
sexually
harassed
by
Bahl
in
2015.
Bahl
has
also
filed
a
defamation
suit
against
Kashyap
and
Motwane
and
sought
Rs
10
crore
in
damages
from
them
for
ruining
his
reputation.
When
the
application
came
up
for
hearing
Wednesday,
the
high
court
had
asked
for
the
woman
to
be
made
a
respondent
in
the
plea.
Senior
counsel
Narvoz
Serwai
Friday
appeared
for
the
woman
and
told
the
court
that
she
was
not
desirous
of
being
a
part
of
the
litigation.
"She
is
not
willing
to
pursue
the
case
too.
She
does
not
wish
to
be
embroiled
in
this," Serwai
said.
Justice
Kathawalla
then
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,"
the
court
said.
The
HC
stated
that
while
it
was
appreciative
of
the
#MeToo
campaign,
at
the
same
time
it
should
not
be
misused.
"The
movement
should
not
be
misused.
It
is
for
the
victims
and
not
for
anybody
else.
This
is
why
there
is
a
need
for
guidelines
to
be
set
on
the
issue,"
Justice
Kathawalla
said.
The
court
has
directed
the
woman
to
submit
a
signed
statement
on
October
23
stating
that
she
does
not
wish
to
pursue
the
case.
Bahl,
who
directed
Kangana
Ranaut-starrer
'Queen',
has
claimed
Kashyap
and
Motwane
orchestrated
a
campaign
against
him.
Kashyap,
Motwane,
Bahl
and
producer
Madhu
Mantena
had
established
Phantom
Films
in
2011.
The
company's
productions
include
Lootera,
Hasee
Toh
Phasee
and
Queen.
Soon
after
Bahl
was
named
in
the
#MeToo
campaign,
Kashyap
and
Motwane
dissolved
Phantom
Films.
An
unidentified
woman
employee
of
the
production
company
alleged
that
Bahl
sexually
assaulted
her
in
Goa
during
a
promotional
tour
for
the
movie
'Bombay
Velvet' in
2015.