Amit Behl rubbishes talk of Deepak Kejriwal threatening Priti Sapru Walia – Beyond Bollywood

The CINTAA General Secretary and CAWT treasurer also questioned the manner in which elections took place for the additional three permanent trustees of CAWT.

By Mayur Lookhar

It’s going to be a summer of elections. Naturally, the one that matters the most is Lok Sabha election. There’ll be assembly elections in a few states too. The entertainment industry, too, will get into electoral mode with Cine & TV Artistes’ Association readying itself for the Executive Committee elections slated to take place on 1 May, 2024.

As always, the incumbents hope to be voted back to power, but it appears that this will be a keenly contested battle. Of course, there are no parties here. Such elections are often won on competence, charm, and cliques. It appears that incumbents Amit Behl (General Secretary), Deepak Qazir Kejriwal (Sr. Vice President) are a strong unit. What about CINTAA president Manoj Joshi? We have no idea. However, the one who could be the game changer is Priti Sapru Walia, chairman of Cine Artist Welfare Trust, a sister concern of CINTAA. The latter is an association body, while the former is a trust that was established in 1991. Stars like Dilip Kumar, Amjad Khan, Sunil Dutt, Asha Parekh, and Mithun Chakraborty were instrumental in the formation of CAWT.  CINTAA comes under the ambit of Labour Commissioner while CAWT is accountable to the Charity Commissioner.

Election is a routine process, but what’s intriguing this time is how a personal issue involving a member has perhaps seeped its way into electoral politics. A Kolkata-based journalist has accused actor Darshan Jariwala of rape, unnatural sex, cheating.  At first, CINTAA was unsure about taking action as it was deemed Jariwala’s personal matter. Once the woman shared grave details, CINTAA Executive Committee asked Jariwala to step down from all his positions at CINTAA and CAWT. An alleged defamatory Whats App chat between Jariwala and the Kolkata woman has created tension in CINTAA, CAWT corridors.

Hurt by its content, Priti Sapru Walia filed an F.I.R against Amit Behl, Deepak Kejriwal, Jariwala and the journalist. There is more to Walia’s grievance than just the defamatory content. Beyond Bollywood has reliably learnt that in her F.I.R, Priti has accused Deepak Kejriwal of threatening her in a meeting.

In an earlier article, Sapru had already spoken about toxic culture at CINTAA, which has led to few esteemed members resigning from their positions. The present internal conflict pertains to the events that took place at the CAWT meeting on 24 January.

The trust consists of eight permanent trustees – Mithun Chakraborty, Johnny Lever, Ranvir Shorey, Pallavi Joshi, Amit Behl, Darshan Zariwala, Manoj Joshi and Priti Sapru. We’ve reliably learnt that Deepak Kejriwal, Tinaa Ghaai, Abhay Bhargava, Ravi Zhankal, and Jaya Bhattacharya are working as Observer Trustees (Observer Trustees) on behalf of CINTAA in the said CAWT Trust. A source claimed that their tenure was to expire in April 2024. The trust requires 11 permanent trustees. The remaining three vacancies were filled up at the CAWT meeting on 24 January, 2024.

A source revealed that in her complaint, Sapru has claimed that in an earlier CAWT meeting on 3 January, Deepak Kejriwal had expressed his desire to become a permanent trustee at CAWT.

Come 24 January, a total of seven candidates contested for the three remaining vacancies. After voting, Vindu Dara Singh, Puneet Issar were elected by majority, but there was a tie for the last slot. Kejriwal, Tinaa Ghaai, and Mukesh Rishi each got six votes. It was then that as chairman, Priti Sapru exercised her right for the deciding vote. She picked Rishi. It is buzzed that Kejriwal allegedly told Sapru that this was all your plan and he would see her soon.

Efforts to reach out to Sapru yielded no response. CINTAA General Secretary Amit Behl, though, shared some perspective on this entire matter.

He clarified that the term of CINTAA office bearers, who are also trustees of CAWT, expires on 1 May, 2024. Behl revealed that Sapru was brought in as permanent trustee in 2021, on the recommendation of earlier president Pankaj Dheer and Deepak Kejriwal, who lives in the same premises as Sapru.

Behl disclosed that when all earlier trustees resigned en masse in 2023, Sapru was recommended as chairperson by Deepak ji and Tinaa Ghaai. It was then that Manoj Joshi, Amit Behl, Darshan Jariwala, Pallavi Joshi, and Ranvir Shorey were inducted as permanent trustees. Jariwala was appointed as General Secretary and Behl as treasurer.

The CAWT treasurer revealed that back then the strength of the permanent trustees was eight. It was Priti who was keen to add Tinaa Ghaai and Kejriwal. They mooted names for the final slot but couldn’t hone in on one. Behl was stunned by the things that transpired on 24 January, 2024.

He says, “Things suddenly changed from Priti ji’s end on the day of our regular CAWT meeting on 24 January. The agenda was to induct new trustees and also write to the Charity Commissioner’s office that we wish to increase strength of permanent trustees from 11 to 15 since we were falling short of helping hands.”

“We were, and still are in the process of creating a good video to appeal to stakeholders to donate funds for welfare work. Hence the strength of 11 permanent and five office bearers was not enough. But suddenly, Priti ji decided to have an election of new trustees by votes. Mithunda, Jaya Bhattacharya and Abhhay Bhaargava voted on Zoom (video communication app). Pallavi (Joshi) sent an e-mail that she will abide by Priti’s decision – counting her vote in absentia, which is wrong. There was a tie between Tinaa, Deepak ji and Mukesh Rishi. Priti ji used her discretion as chairperson and got Mukesh Rishi elected apart from Vindu Dara Singh and Puneet Issar,” said Behl.

The CAWT treasurer has no qualms with more trustees working but felt that the way the election was conducted was wrong. He even disagreed with Priti’s claim that Kejriwal threatened her. The minutes that are video recorded should clear such things.

“Her wrong statements about Deepak ji threatening her, the non-validity of CINTAA office bearers as trustees, is appalling. In a trust, when there’s so much of mistrust, how will we do good for our members? We’ve been selflessly working since the past nine years. Priti ji should first read the constitution/s and look at the past good work of all earlier EC members of CINTAA and trustees of CAWT,” appealed Bhel.

The CINTAA General Secretary and CAWT treasurer said that difference of opinion is fine but till date, no one has made illogical and false FIRs against their colleagues.

“She will realise her mistake when the truth comes out. It’s sad that such squabbles happen in an organisation that aims to work for the welfare of its brethren and gain their trust, but there is total mistrust within some trustees,” rued Behl.

Sapru had earlier raised concern over alleged toxic environment at CINTAA, but she, too, has her critics. There are murmurs of Sapru and Jariwala working in tandem.

Requesting anonymity, a source said, “It’s clear that she wants to open her fiefdom. Her FIR against four people, who are accused of defaming her on social media, in which Jariwala and the Kolkata journalist are creators, has no relevance or relation to her post in CAWT, the function of CAWT and CINTAA”.

“It’s basically using her political muscle and wrong use of the woman card to trouble particular members. She’s unnecessarily putting false allegations on Kejriwal because he opposed her unilateral and rash decisions. When she got caught on the wrong foot, she used offence as the best defense. Priti’s put pressure on the cops to trouble some members but not Darshan. Now that is shocking as he’s the one who maligned her reputation,” the source chided.