Teen Star Molestation Case: Kangana Upset With the Backlash

Kangana Ranaut slammed the trolls targeting the teen star, who was molested on flight.

Kangana Ranaut was at the book launch event of Shobha De’s new book.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

In a live Instagram post on 9 December, a teenage Bollywood actor broke down and accused the man seated behind her on the flight of rubbing his foot against her back and neck while she was half-asleep on the flight. Though she received abundant support from the Hindi film industry, doubts were also raised about the authenticity of the 17-year-old’s allegations. Some even termed it a ‘publicity stunt’.

Kangana Ranaut slammed the trolls targeting the teen star when she was at the launch event of author Shobha De’s new book “70 and to hell with it”.

“I want to bring to your notice this young girl, who has spoken about this harassment that she faced in a flight. But look at the backlash she is getting. It is so upsetting. I mean there are witnesses, who are claiming that the innocent man just happened to put his foot on the arm-rest and that’s the only crime that the person committed. If anyone is going to put foot on my arm-rest, it’s open to interpretation, that if this is emotional or sexual harassment or personal because you are in my intimate space and I will interpret it. Your fellow passengers can’t tell me that his innocent leg was resting,”

Kangana Ranaut told journalist Barkha Dutt.

She went on to say that it was courageous of the minor actor to open up about the experience. Kangana even admitted that if she were in the actor’s place, she would have ‘broken’ the man’s leg.

“A young girl decides to step up and say that she has been harassed, there are so many things like your own parents, people who wish you well and your management companies, they tend to tell you, ‘Don’t associate yourself with something dark. You are the girl, who wants this brand, that brand, who wants this and that film.’ For that young girl to go against all of that and speak up. Now, I am not in that position so I don’t know what kind of harassment it was. But everyone agrees on one thing that the foot was on her arm-rest. This is wrong. It is very wrong. Why are we judging and trolling her? In this kind of environment, which is so frightening, who will speak up? I am not dissecting or jumping to the conclusion and no one should play judge whether it is me or media or social media”

Actor, Kangana Ranaut

The Quint is not naming the victim as the law states that victims of sexual crimes cannot be identified.

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