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#MeToo: Top Bollywood body sends notices to Patekar, Bahl, Alok Nath
Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS) Taking a firm stand against cases of alleged sexual harassment in the film industry, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has sent notices to Nana Patekar, Vikas Bahl and Alok Nath, who have been accused of indulging in such acts.
Going a step further, the Federation also announced to stop working with these people if they fail to respond to the notices.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday evening, Chief Advisor of FWICE Ashok Pandit said: “We have sent notices to Nana Patekar, Vikas Bahl and Alok Nath. They have to respond within a week. If they don’t respond on time, the five lakh members of our federation in different bodies will stop working with them. In a way, they will be banned by the entertainment industry.”
When asked about the content of notice, Pandit said it calls accused’s version with regard to the charges slapped against them. “The idea is to hear both sides of the story and then take a legal recourse.”
Some other members of the committee, including Ashok Dubey, B.N. Tiwari and Gangeshwar Shrivastav, were also present at the press conference.
While Nana Patekar is accused of sexually harassing actress Tanushree Dutta in 2008 on the sets of “Horn Ok Pleasss”, actor Alok Nath allegedly made a sexual assault on writer-producer Vinta Nanda 19 years ago and director Vikas Bahl is alleged to have sexually harassed one of his female colleagues in 2015.
Taking a vow to support the #MeToo movement, Pandit said: “Our legal team is there to guide and support all the victims of such harassments and we urge them to file the complaint whenever they face such a situation. We want to create a fear among such sick-minded people so that they refrain from even thinking about conducting themselves in this manner with any other members of the fraternity.
“We will support the victim in their legal fight. We will take such case to the court to seek justice for every victim of the industry.”
–IANS
aru/nir
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.