Does Payal Ghosh’s refusal to keep promise to apologize to Richa Chadha amount to contempt?

Actress Payal Ghosh told the Bombay high court on Thursday that she would tender an apology to Richa Chadha for mentioning her name while accusing filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of rape and sexual harassment. Chadha had filed a defamation suit against Ghosh seeking Rs1.1 crore in damages for making baseless allegations against her. The suit also named actor-turned-Twitter personality Kamaal R Khan (KRK) and a Telugu news channel.

However, later in the day, Ghosh took a U-turn, saying she wouldn’t be apologizing to Chadha. In a statement on Twitter, she wrote, “I am not apologizing to anyone. I have not wronged nor have I given a wrong statement about anyone. I just said what Anurag Kashyap told me. #SorryNotSorry.” 

Before this statement, Ghosh tweeted, “I have nothing to do with Ms Chadha. We as women have got to stand with each other, shoulder to shoulder. I don't want any unintentional harassment to her or me on this matter. My fight for justice is against only Mr Kashyap and I want to focus solely on that right now. Let’s make the world see his true face.” 

Chadha quote retweeted Ghosh’s statements and wrote, “Update.” 

We asked advocate Rakesh K Singh whether Ghosh’s U-turn could have legal implications and whether it comes under contempt of court. “She can always change her mind. I don't think it amounts to contempt [of court],” said the advocate. 

Asked what would happen if Ghosh refuses to apologize to Chadha, the lawyer said, “The case will go on. There will be an argument on whether or not the circulation of videos where Ghosh and Kamaal R Khan are allegedly speaking ill of Chadha, which she has complained about, will be stopped.” 

It all started when Ghosh accused Kashyap of having tried to force himself upon her back in 2014 during an interview with the news channel ABN Telugu last month. She later filed a complaint against him for rape and other sexual offences. Kashyap, who has denied all allegations, was interrogated by the Mumbai police for eight hours on 1 October.