Cops, child rights panel reach out to girl who accused theatre personality of abuse

KOLKATA: Kolkata Police and West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) have reached out to the 19-year-old student, who has accused a theatre personality of sexual abuse since she joined his group as a 12-year-old.

The girl had written a post on social media, alleging, “minor molestation, sexual abuse and exploitation, emotional abuse, perpetrator-partner’s enabling, manipulation under the guise of career advancement” against the theatre practitioner, also an activity teacher at a reputable school. But the accused, Raja Bhattacharya, who runs a theatre group, called Blank Verse, rubbished the allegations, claiming this was an agenda to break his theatre group.

Police have asked the girl to “inbox” her contact number for further correspondence. Top officers said they had approached her friends to reach out to her. On Tuesday evening, the girl’s father told TOI, “We are yet to get in touch with Kolkata Police.” The child rights panel legal officer has asked for a meeting with the student on Wednesday. “I have been asked to meet WBCPCR. I will meet them,” the student told TOI.

Bhattacharya, who has directed plays, such as ‘Furrut’ and ‘Chashme Baddur’, told TOI, “It is a concocted story. This is part of a greater agenda to break up my theatre group. The girl worked with me both online and offline. She should have at least told her parents, my wife or other guardians about it. I find it suspicious she remained silent all this while and suddenly sprang it on me.”

Bhattacharya’s rebuttal notwithstanding, actor-director Debdut Ghosh, who had cast him for his upcoming film, ‘Aador’, has decided not to invite him for the premiere on June 23. “My friends from theatre told me what the girl shared. I am not inviting him to the premiere.” Actor Shantilal Mukherjee has taken a stronger stance: “She attached screenshots where he is asking for forgiveness. She first exposed him in front of two parents. The social media post was written after that. It is amply clear that he is guilty.”

What has shocked many is the question being raised on “the delay” in speaking up. “I am shocked. I have watched his productions and have high regards for his skill. But a girl has every right to protest. There can never be a time limit for a survivor’s protest. Anybody questioning why she is saying it now and not before can’t see the woods for the trees,” said theatre personality Poulami Bose. Actor Sudipta Chakraborty has been disturbed ever since she came across the post. “I worked with him long ago. I am absolutely with the girl for showing courage and speaking up now. I want immediate action. Writing on social media will not lead to anything,” she said.

Veteran theatre personality Bibhas Chakraborty said, “I don’t know if this incident has happened and can’t play the judge here. It is condemnable if the incident actually occurred. But it is equally condemnable if he is being tried on social media in case he is innocent.”

(inputs by Dwaipayan Ghosh)


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