Govinda files countercharges against reporter

Actor and MP Govinda has expressed shock at the complaint filed against him by a television reporter. On Thursday night, Shweta Ranjan, a reporter with Janmat channel filed a case against Govinda alleging that he had misbehaved with her and confiscated her tapes. But the actor sees it as an attempt to gain eyeballs.

“She says my brother Kirti threatened her, but he had only asked her to be polite with me during the interview. The allegations against me are completely false. I have lodged  an NC against the girl. The channel is looking for some publicity.”

The MP said that the whole episode was extremely bizarre. “The girl came to me, I finished with her interview and she went away. She was talking rudely throughout the interview. Just after she left, my men told me that while waiting for me she had shot my house, without my permission. This irritated me and I asked my security to check what she has shot. She went and lodged a complaint against me! She is obviously lying when she says I have misbehaved with her. I want her to swear on God or her parents before making such accusations against me.”

But Gautam Adhikari, chairman, Sabe TV is sticking by the reporter’s version. “There is no conspiracy. We asked our reporter to file a case when we came to know that she had been threatened with a revolver and thrown out of the house. We had been invited by Govinda to go to his house and do the interview. He was not forced into anything. Let him say what he wants now.”

Govinda has decided against giving interviews to any journalist he is not familiar with. “There is no danger like the unknown. I am surprised with Markand’s (Markand Adhikari, vice chairman, Sabe TV, which promotes Janmat) behaviour. When I called him, he seemed only keen to fight, while I was trying to explain the situation to him. This is a part of a conspiracy to malign my name.”
s_shubha@dnaindia.net