Actor Payal Ghosh joins Ramdas Athawale-led political party

Mumbai: Actor Payal Ghosh who is in news since over a month for her controversy where she accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexual harassment, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India on Monday in Mumbai.

She joined the party in the presence of party chief and Union minister Ramdas Athawale and has been named as the vice president of women’s wing of RPI (A).

“I thank her for joining the party and I welcome her,” he said.

Payal Ghosh controversy

On September 23, Payal Ghosh filed a complaint against Anurag Kashyap Versova police station, Mumbai accusing him of sexual harassment in 2013.

Payal Ghosh got full support from Ramdas Athawale and other politicians who accompanied her to the Versova police station, seeking security for the actor.

Mumbai Police had booked Kashyap after Payal Ghosh accused him of sexual misconduct. The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Versova Police station on September 22 after the actor, along with her lawyer Nitin Satpute, approached the police. The FIR was registered under Sections 376 (I) (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

However, Kashyap denied all the allegations made by Payal Ghosh and provided documentary evidence to show that he was shooting in Sri Lanka at the time when the alleged incident is said to have taken place.

Kashyap’s lawyer Priyanka Khimani said on October 2: “Mr Kashyap has categorically denied that any such alleged incident ever took place and has also denied all allegations levelled against him”.