Slapgate: Ollywood producer Tutu Nayak arrested

Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police today arrested Ollywood producer Sanjay Nayak (Tutu) on charges of slapping a woman journalist in the Odisha capital here yesterday.

Kharvelnagar police in the capital city has arrested the Odia film producer, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Manas Gadnayak.

Nayak was produced in the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar. The court has rejected his bail plea and sent him to judicial custody for 14 days, sources said.

Nayak had allegedly attacked the female journalist while she was covering some issues at a theatre in the capital city here yesterday.

Victim Debasmita Rout, a reporter of ETV Bharat, lodged a complaint in this regard with Kharvelnagar police station. As per the complaint, the incident took place while Rout was covering some issues at Sriya-Swati Talkies here around 12.50 pm in the afternoon yesterday.

Producer Tutu Nayak allegedly slapped the female journalist without any provocation.

“Film producer Tutu Nayak slapped me on my face without any reason and hurled abuses at me. It happened suddenly and I dropped my boom and mobile phone on the ground. He again hit me on my back while I was picking up my boom and mobile from the ground,” said the victim in her complaint.

Basing upon the complaint, the police registered a case against the film producer under Sections 342, 323, 294 and 354 of the IPC.

Nayak had earlier apologized over the alleged incident. “The concerned journalist is like my daughter. I have known her since last several days. She had visited my house quite a few times. If she has been hurt by any of my behaviour, then I tender my apology,” Nayak said in a statement.

The film producer further clarified that the female scribe was standing in front of the main gate of Sriya-Swati Talkies in the afternoon. “I just patted her and asked her to make way for me. I also exchanged pleasantries with her,” Nayak said.