Sofia Hayat's complaint against Armaan Kohli triggers a war of words!
Chennai: Men in Chennai are quite alarmed after reading about Sofia Hayat's recent accusation of Armaan Kholi sexually abusing her on the reality show 'Bigg Boss 7'.
It seems to have gotten quite a few people talking and even worried, as the law seems to favour a woman's testimony.
The actor, who is now out on bail, was taken into custody on Monday by the Lonavala police station and booked under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman) 506 (criminal intimidation) and 354 A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.
Bruce Lee Mani, the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Bengaluru-based band Thermal and a Quarter insists that there must be a platform for men to voice their issues as well.
"Just because there have been a few untoward incidents, doesn't mean that all men are bad. For men who get involved in a false case of sexual harassment, they need a cell similar to what women have. Where else will they go?" he questions.
Anupam Ashish, a techie says that the bottom line is that the men need to play it smart. "Our office is a little more lax when it comes to rules. But that said, yes the entire episode has forced me to think twice before I say or do something in the presence of my female co-workers. I will put a filter on my mouth now," says the 28-year-old.
From the looks of it, men who work in the creative field or jobs that require them to socialise are less hassled by the incident than those working in corporate environments. "That is probably because in the latter, laws are very strict and the code of conduct is formal," adds Anupam.
But there are also men like MJ Rakesh from Radio One who do not feel threatened by what happened with Armaan. "I have a lot of female colleagues and I behave with them as I do with my male co-workers. I have never differentiated between the two," says Rakesh.
For party host Viren Khanna, it is knowing who you are dealing with. "I am not at all affected by what hap pened to the actor. I am a party animal who meets umpteen number of men and women every week. You need to gauge your company before you open your mouth. It is important to act and behave according to the people around you. If at all faced with a hostile situation, just walk away," he advises.
Psychologist Anand Rao explains, "There are some people who take advantage of certain rights extended to them. While at times, these cases are genuine, on other occasions, they are also baseless. The current scenario has made men very cautious and defensive. Very often, they avoid interactions with their colleagues belonging to the other gender. The problem that arises then is that they begin going into a shell which is not good for anyone, neither the employee not the employer."
