Tanushree Dutta's lawyer at the receiving end of #MeToo

Nitin Satpute. File pic

Advocate Nitin Satpute, who represented Bollywood actress Tanushree Datta in her sexual harassment case against Nana Patekar has been booked for allegedly abusing a Mahim-based businesswoman.

The 47-year-old woman and Satpute are residents of the same society in Mahim. According to the woman, she and Satpute had been on good terms until September 30, 2019 when during a society meeting it was suggested to Satpute that he remove a garden in front of his ground-floor flat so that children can play.

Satpute apparently agreed at first. On November 2, the woman noticed two missed calls from Satupute. "I picked up when he called the third time. He started verbally abusing me," the woman said in her statement to police.

She then approached Mahim police, the state women's commission, the Bandra Bar Association, and the Bar Council of Mumbai and Goa High Court. According to the statement, "The first meeting at the women's commission was on December 16, which he skipped. The next meeting was on December 30 and both parties were told to be present."

"After the meeting concluded, I was busy on phone and my husband was walking ahead. Satpute came close to me from behind and whispered in my ear saying, 'I will not spare you'," the woman recounted in the statement. Following the incident, she visited Kherwadi police station where an FIR has been registered.

Manujath Singe, deputy commissioner of police, zone 8, said, "We have registered a case under Sections 354(A)(1)(4) (making sexually coloured remarks) and 509 (insulting the modesty of any woman) of the Indian Penal Code."

When contacted, Satpute, said, who had registered a case under the atrocities act against the woman, said, "I have already filed a case against the woman. In response, she filed a molestation case against me, I am cooperating with the police and they will soon register a case of false complaint against her."

Satpute has worked on many controversial cases. He represented Dr Payal Tadvi's family in her suicide case for a short while. He also represented Manjula Shetye's kin in her murder which occurred inside the Byculla women's jail allegedly at the hands of the jail staff.

Dec 30, '19
Day the latest verbal abuse happened

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates