Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Giving its verdict on the sexual harassment case filed by actor Jennifer Mistry of popular TV serial “Taarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma”, the Local Complaints Committee of Maharashtra Government has held its producer Asit Modi guilty under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.
Modi has been ordered to pay outstanding dues and an additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh for harassment with the total amounting to about Rs 30 lakh to Jeniffer. Based on Jennifer’s sexual harassment complaint filed last year, an FIR was filed by Mumbai’s Powai Police against Modi, operation head Sohail Ramani and executive producer Jatin Bajaj.
For more than 15 years, Jennifer, who portrayed Roshan Sodhi in the serial, claimed that Asit had approached her on several occasions and “made sexual advances.” The actress approached the state government for assistance, and they established the Local Complaints Committee, since the Mumbai police waited a while to file the FIR and did not respond thereafter.
“I believe a woman’s reputation matters most. It’s been over 40 days, and I still haven’t received my due amount, which I earned through hard work in the serial (TMKOC). Despite proving Modi guilty of sexual harassment, no punishment has been given to the three accused. Sohil and Jatin were not included in the verdict, which disappoints me. The local committee ordered my due amount, which I deserve. This verdict clears that my case was not fabricated, and I wasn’t seeking cheap publicity. While I’m glad my harassment was recognised, I don’t feel I’ve received proper justice yet,” Jennifer told the media.
The actor said she was not being given work as Modi had been telling people that she had temper problems. “In this one year, I have contemplated committing suicide at least a hundred times. I just take a step back remembering my young daughter,” she added.
