Lawsuits could stall movement
Defamation lawsuits filed by two Indian public figures accused of sexual harassment have sparked warnings from women's rights activists and legal experts that prolonged court battles could put the brakes on the country's nascent #MeToo movement.
The movement, that began in the United States just over a year ago in response to accusations of sexual assault and harassment in the entertainment industry, gained traction in India in the past two weeks after a Bollywood actress complained about inappropriate behaviour on film sets and complaints of improper conduct roiled India's biggest comedy group.
Since then, more than a dozen men in politics, media, entertainment and the arts have been accused of a range of offences, with several prominent figures either resigning or being suspended as a result.
Two of those accused, former junior foreign minister M J Akbar and veteran actor Alok Nath, this week launched criminal defamation suits against their accusers. Lawyers and women's groups said that could act as a deterrent to more victims coming forward.
Unlike in many countries, where defamation is a civil offence, Indian law also has provisions which classify it as a criminal offence punishable with a jail term of up to two years.
Cases typically drag on for years in India's overstretched legal system. Legal experts say defamation lawsuits, in particular, are sometimes used as a tool to stall opponents, especially against those who won't have the wherewithal to respond effectively to such cases.
"Criminal defamation is usually an arm twisting tactic and works as a deterrent because nobody wants to be potentially embroiled in court for years or face a jail term," said Samudra Sarangi, a partner at Indian law firm Panag & Babu which represents clients in defamation lawsuits.
Modi is yet to publicly speak on the matter and calls to three spokespersons of his Bharatiya Janata Party were unanswered yesterday. On Monday, Akbar filed the defamation suit against one of his accusers, journalist Priya Ramani, at a Delhi district court. Indian journalist Sucheta Dalal called for crowd-funding Ramani's legal costs in a Twitter post that received more than 3,000 likes, although an official fundraising campaign is yet to be set up.
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