NEW DELHI: An anonymous Instagram handle that had posted sexual harassment allegations against artist Subodh Gupta on Tuesday offered to seek an amicable settlement with him.
The owner of the Instagram account Herdsceneand, through counsel, submitted before the Delhi high court that sh/e was exploring if the dispute with Gupta — who has filed a defamation suit asking for Rs 5 crore in damages — could be settled out of court and sought a weeks time.
Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw had, on the last date of hearing, asked the holder of the account to clarify if sh/e wanted to represent only the anonymous 'victim' (who has claimed sexual harassment by Gupta) or all such persons who have used the platform offered by the account to level charges against other men.
Appearing for the artist, advocate Neoma Vasdev said his clients reputation has been damaged but he is willing to wait and see what the other party has in mind by way of a resolution, prompting the HC to grant a weeks time.
The 'victim' has not yet been arrayed as a party in the case while the identity of the person running the Instagram account, which published allegations against several men in the wake of #MeToo movement, has been kept secret on the courts directions for the time being.
The HC order, seeking clarification on where the account holder stands in the defamation suit, came after the holder earlier revealed sh/e is only a “whistleblower” and has not been harassed by Gupta. The person said the handle is only a neutral platform intended to bring out instances of sexual misconduct and harassment in the art fraternity, as part of the #MeToo movement.
Justice Endlaw took a dim view of this revelation, pointing out that a “ghost” cant be alloweRead More – Source
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