Singer Abhijeet booked for molesting woman

Bollywood playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, whose star-studded Durga Puja draws people from across the country, has been booked for molesting a 34-year-old woman who was part of the audience at the pandal.

The 56-year-old, who has several super hit songs to his credit, spearheads the Lokhandwala Sarvajanik Durgautsov Samiti, which organises the big budget Durga Puja celebrations at the Andheri suburbs here. Several celebrities from Mumbai and Kolkata visit this pandal every year.

In her complaint, the woman has accused Abhijeet of touching her inappropriately and abusing her during a concert of singer Kailash Kher earlier this week.

“I don't know who she is. Such an incident is not possible in front of a crowd of 50,000 people. My entire family was there. Saying 'hello' or 'hi' to anyone does not amount to molestation. She didn't go to the police station. The police took her there,” said Abhijeet. “I was there, my family was there, my in-laws were there,” the  singer said, adding that the lady was abusive. “She was taken out by the volunteers,” he said.

Abhijeet has been booked under Section 354 (a) (molestation) 506 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) read with Section 34 of the IPC.

“While the programme was going on, the complainant  stood up in between the rows that blocked the view for people sitting behind. People started shouting at her and when she did not listen, Abhijeet intervened,” said Oshiwara police station’s senior inspector Subhash Khanvilkar.