By Subhash K Jha
BOLLYWOOD: Former actress and socialite Pooja Bedi’s daughter Aalia’s pub fight with Ramanand Sagar’s great grand-daughter Sakshi got uglier, with the latter’s mother Meenakshi Sagar filing charges under a very serious POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.
The outspoken Pooja Bedi wasted no time in dismissing the charges as baseless and retaliatory.
Says Pooja, “This is sheer harassment. I am baffled about being booked under POCSO as I never met Meenakshi Sagar’s daughter, never spoken or had any media interaction with her , never exchanged even an sms with her. The woman is now seeking revenge or face-saving measures…It is all so absurd. I wasn’t even at the venue that night (at the pub where the fight happened). The woman’s grouse was against Aalia. Now it’s turned on me because we registered an FIR against her daughter for her horrific behaviour towards us.”
Pooja is appalled by the POCSO charge that has been levelled against her. “How can the cops file a charge without any evidence of the charge levelled? Does this mean anyone can charge anyone with anything?”
Going back to the morning after the brawl between Pooja’s daughter who was accompanied by a friend and Sakshi Sagar ,Pooja says, “After the incident at Tryst, Sakshi’s mom (Meenakshi) messaged my daughter Aalia until 4.30 am. The messages were filled with expletives demanding to know the name of the girl who had apparently ‘twisted’ her hand. Aalia asked her (Meenakshi) to stop using abusive language and to stop troubling her , and to please speak with me. Aalia gave her my number. 12 hours later she (Meenakshi) messaged me, saying that she needed to talk to me about the incident at Tryst in which my daughter’s friend allegedly pushed her daughter (Sakshi) and when she intervened Aalia’s friend allegedly twisted her hand. Ms Meenakshi Sagar wanted to file a police complaint against Alia’s friend.”
Pooja claims when Ms Sagar was not given Aalia’s friend’s number she turned the whole incident around. “When I firmly told her I did not appreciate her harassing my daughter she trained her wrath on Aalia.But I have her first sms as evidence where she clearly blames Aalia’s friend. Now her entire grouse seems to be against Aalia.And since I’ve filed an FIR she’s now targeting me. This is sheer misuse of the law.In her FIR against my daughter Aalia, Meenakshi Sagar speaks about how when Aalia joined school Sakshi’s friends left her and became Aalia’s friends. Is that reason for an FIR? And if some of Aalia’s friends bullied Sakshi how is that Aalia’s fault. Why didn’t Meenakshi file an FIR against those girls? Why my daughter? This is a clear case of harassment.”
When contacted, Ms Meenakshi Sagar hinted at a long history of bullying that culminated in the brawl at Tyst.
Pooja has approached top cop Rakesh Maria. “He has assured me of justice. An immediate investigation is on and if the case against me is found to be false they’ll take action against the Sagars.”
Responding with dignity Ms Sagar said, “Actually, since the matter is in court now I can’t comment on the case. But I’d like every parent to stand with his or her children and stop this kind of ragging and cyber bullying that so many kids have to unfortunately suffer. Please google ‘ask.fm suicides’ to understand the gravity of the situation. My daughter Sakshi was harassed on this site. As parents we should never allow this to happen.”
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