A Mumbai court has decided not to proceed with the complaint filed by actress Tanushree Dutta against Nana Patekar, citing that the case was registered beyond the legally permitted time frame. The court noted that there was no explanation for the delay in filing the complaint, which pertained to an incident that allegedly occurred in 2008.
Dutta had approached the authorities in 2018, accusing Patekar and three others of inappropriate behavior during the filming of a song for Horn Ok Pleasss. Her complaint was registered under sections 354 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with assault or criminal force on a woman and word or gesture intended to insult modesty, respectively.
Following an investigation, the police submitted a report in 2019, stating that no evidence was found to substantiate the claims. This led to the filing of a ‘B-summary’ report, a legal term used when a complaint is deemed false. Dutta contested the report, requesting further investigation.
Judicial Magistrate First Class (Andheri) NV Bansal observed that the law sets a three-year deadline for initiating proceedings in such cases. The court emphasized that legal provisions are designed to encourage timely action in criminal cases. Since neither the complainant nor the prosecution sought an extension for the delay, the court was unable to take up the matter.
The court clarified that it was not making any determination on the truthfulness of the allegations but stated that legal restrictions prevented further action. Consequently, the B-summary report was disposed of, as the matter could not be pursued beyond the prescribed limitation period.
