“How can it be molestation? I was in front of a crowd of over 50,000, my entire family and other people around me... I don’t even know her,”

IANS
Mumbai

Bollywood playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya was yesterday booked by the Mumbai police on charges of abusing and molesting a woman at an event late on Thursday night.
Bhattacharya denied the allegations after he was summoned by the Oshiwara police for questioning yesterday.
“How can it be molestation? I was in front of a crowd of over 50,000, my entire family and other people around me... I don’t even know her,” Bhattacharya told media persons.
The singer said that there had been a commotion involving the woman at the venue and security officers had escorted her out of the event. The woman later levelled the charges against him.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening in the Andheri west area during a live performance by singer Kailash Kher as part of the Lokhandwala Durga Puja Mandal, of which Bhattacharya is one of the organisers.
The 34-year-old woman claimed that owing to the huge crowds, she was unable to view the performance and had moved closer to the stage. It was then that Bhattacharya had touched her inappropriately, the woman alleged.
The woman claimed that she had then protested and demanded that police officers present at the venue lodge a complaint.
At this, Bhattacharya reportedly shouted at her and asked some women volunteers to escort her to his office where he further threatened her with dire consequences. He then got her removed from the venue, she said.
Later, the woman approached the Oshiwara police station which registered her complaint against Bhattacharya for molestation and related charges.
A police officer said investigation was underway and the next course of action would be decided accordingly.