Entertainment
I feel unsafe and ashamed as a woman, Preity Zinta says
Bollywood actor Preity Zinta, who is also co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab IPL team, registered an FIR against her former boyfriend Ness Wadia, alleging that he molested and abused her.
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Zinta, in her six-page complaint lodged with the Marine Drive police, said, "I have known Ness Wadia for the last ten years and had a relationship with him. We ended our relationship some time back. Although we are co-owners of Kings XI Punjab, we only talk for professional reasons."
"We have not been talking to each other for awhile. In between, once or twice, we had a few heated arguments regarding work and he tried to abuse me, he also used extremely derogatory language and tried to behave in such a manner where I was put to shame in front of my colleagues, friends and family. I warned him and told him that I was not comfortable with such behavior," Zinta said in her complaint.
Zinta also added in her complaint that during the IPL auction that was held in Bangalore, Ness had insisted that she sit beside him and when she didn't comply, turned "rude and angry" and used "derogatory language" and fought with her in public.
Zinta alleged that he said, "Who the hell do you think you are? I am the owner of Wadia group and you are nobody."
Zinta said that she was "really shocked" by his behavior as she never expected him to behave like that at an event.
She said the CEO of IPL intervened and told the two of them to remain quiet and she too told him that she would report his behavior to the police after which he calmed down.
The incident that Zinta mentioned in her complaint allegedly occurred on May 30 at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium where their team was playing a match.
Zinta said that Wadia was also yelling at the team staff and she asked him to calm down and enjoy the match.
"For no reason he started abusing and screaming at me, grabbed my arm and tried to pull me," she said, adding that she left for her seat as she "did not want to create a scene".
"He came up to me and used "foul language" in front of everyone which was demeaning to my reputation and character," Zinta added.
"Ness Wadia has gone to the extent of threatening me with dire consequences and intimidating me by boasting of his political clout and connections. On May 30, during the IPL match at Wankhede he intimidated me by saying he could make me disappear as I was a nobody and only an actress and that he is a powerful person," her FIR stated. "I have tried to be very normal and nice to him as I wanted peace in my life, but the recent incident at Wankhede has left me shattered and in fear for my life."
Zinta said she immediately had lodged a verbal complaint with the BCCI officials that day.
She said his "constant" abusing and intimidation has caused her "a lot of mental and physical distress" and made her "feel unsafe and ashamed as a woman."
The FIR filed by the police has four IPC sections including that of criminal intimidation, molestation, insulting a person to breach public peace and words used to offend a woman's dignity. All four sections are bailable and the police need not arrest Wadia said lawyers.