Tanushre Dutta, who was the catalyst for starting the #MeToo conversation in the Hindi film industry, has congratulated Priya Ramani for her acquittal in a defamation case filed by former union minister MJ Akbar. Akbar had filed the suit against Ramani on October 15, 2018, for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct decades ago when he was a journalist.Lauding Ramani and her advocate Rebecca John’s courage and determination, Tanushree said in a statement, “Heartfelt congratulations to the brave and resilient Priya Ramani on her big win!! Your determination in the face of adversity and legal harassment for 2 years by a wicked and vindictive man has won you the respect of the whole nation. Salutations to senior advocate Rebecca John! 97:1 The odds were against you Rebecca from the start but your conviction on your client, her truth and your ability to uphold the truth in the face of everything that was thrown at you is truly praiseworthy. Tanushree also thanked the court’s profound observation while serving the verdict. She wrote, “Thank you justice ACMM Ravindra Kumar Pandey for your profound court observations with closing statements on the case and this landmark verdict that will impact millions of lives for the better. God bless you and your family with health, wealth and happiness” Calling the verdict a new legal precedent in India towards women’s safety, Dutta added, “Possibly, henceforth these false and malicious defamation cases on #metoo whistleblowers need to be dismissed right away on the first court hearing instead of wasting the courts time and making the women go through unnecessary hassles. It’s a new legal precedent in India towards women’s safety and I welcome it with open arms!”Tanushree Dutta helped trigger the #MeToo movement in Bollywood in 2018 after she accused Nana Patekar of allegedly harassing her on the sets of Horn OK Pleassss back in 2009. This was followed by several women in the industry coming forward to reveal their stories of harassment.
