Oshiwara police said on Thursday they would record statements of eyewitnesses before deciding upon further course of action in connection with a complaint of sexual harassment filed by Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta against actor Nana Patekar and three others.
On Thursday morning, a group of around 20 women, affiliated to a political party, staged a protest at the police station demanding swift action in the case.
The actor has accused Patekar of touching her inappropriately on the sets of Bollywood film 'Horn Ok Please' in 2008.
"The investigation is at a preliminary stage and since it is a 10-year-old case, we need to verify all the facts first. As a part of the probe, we will record statements of all witnesses related to the case before summoning the accused," said a police officer privy to the investigation.
In her complaint filed last Saturday, the actor had alleged that during the shooting of a song sequence for the movie she was inappropriately touched by Patekar even after she had clearly mentioned that she will not perform lewd, vulgar or uncomfortable steps.
The actor had also claimed that she had complained to the song's choreographer Ganesh Acharya, but she was forced to enact scenes that were intimate and involved Patekar touching her inappropriately.
Based on the actor's complaint, a case under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) was registered on Wednesday night against Patekar, Acharya, the film's producer Samee Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang.
The Maharashtra State Commission for Women had on Tuesday issued notices to Patekar, Siddiqui, Acharya, and Sarang. The commission also wrote to Mumbai Police, seeking information on the action it had taken on the actor's complaint.