NSCI member lands in soup over FB post
By Gitanjali Das
Club sends her defamation notice after she posted a picture of fly in food served by restaurant; I will fight till the end, she says.
The National Sports Club of India has filed a defamation case against one of its elected representatives after she posted a photograph on Facebook of a fly found in the soup served by one of the club’s restaurants. The club has also requested the court to order the member to pay damages worth Rs90 lakh.
Ajinkya is a member of the NSCI’s central council, which comprises 30 members in Mumbai and Delhi. On July 11, she was at the club when one of the members called her to the lounge. “A young girl found a fly in her soup and threw up. Her father created a hue and cry about it. So I was called to the spot. I sorted out the issue and got the bill nullified. I went to the club’s president who was seated in the bar. I informed him of the incident and asked him to take the matter in his hands. He told me to do whatever I wanted. He started shouting at me and said I should write on Facebook.”
The next day, Ajinkya posted a photo of the fly in the soup in a post on Facebook. “Two days later I got a show cause notice. They set up an inquiry panel. But I protested because it was not a neutral panel as all of its members were the president’s own committee people. I got just 48 hours to appear before this panel,” she said.
On July 30, Ajinkya got a notice for suspension, and on Thursday, a notice for defamation. The case’s first hearing was held in the city civil court on Friday, and the next hearing is today. “I am going to fight this till the end. I have done nothing wrong. This is a case of vendetta politics. I am extremely popular in our club. Despite being an opposition member, I tried to address the issue. The ruling group tries to muzzle our voices and run a dictatorship. Earlier too there have been innumerable complaints regarding hygiene in the club. I have got complaints of steel wool being found in caramel custard.”
NSCI president Jayantilal Shah did not respond to several calls and messages. Rakesh Malhotra, the club’s secretary, replied to Mirror’s queries via SMS, “Under the garb of freedom of speech people can’t be allowed to play with the reputation and goodwill of the club. The matter is sub-judice so I don’t want to divulge any more details at this point.”
Club sends her defamation notice after she posted a picture of fly in food served by restaurant; I will fight till the end, she says.
The National Sports Club of India has filed a defamation case against one of its elected representatives after she posted a photograph on Facebook of a fly found in the soup served by one of the club’s restaurants. The club has also requested the court to order the member to pay damages worth Rs90 lakh.
Tina Ajinkya, against whom the suit has been filed, defended herself saying that she had approached the club’s president over the issue. She alleged that she had asked him to deal with the situation but he had refused to do so. Instead, he told her to write about it on Facebook if she wanted to, she alleged.
Ajinkya is a member of the NSCI’s central council, which comprises 30 members in Mumbai and Delhi. On July 11, she was at the club when one of the members called her to the lounge. “A young girl found a fly in her soup and threw up. Her father created a hue and cry about it. So I was called to the spot. I sorted out the issue and got the bill nullified. I went to the club’s president who was seated in the bar. I informed him of the incident and asked him to take the matter in his hands. He told me to do whatever I wanted. He started shouting at me and said I should write on Facebook.”
The next day, Ajinkya posted a photo of the fly in the soup in a post on Facebook. “Two days later I got a show cause notice. They set up an inquiry panel. But I protested because it was not a neutral panel as all of its members were the president’s own committee people. I got just 48 hours to appear before this panel,” she said.
On July 30, Ajinkya got a notice for suspension, and on Thursday, a notice for defamation. The case’s first hearing was held in the city civil court on Friday, and the next hearing is today. “I am going to fight this till the end. I have done nothing wrong. This is a case of vendetta politics. I am extremely popular in our club. Despite being an opposition member, I tried to address the issue. The ruling group tries to muzzle our voices and run a dictatorship. Earlier too there have been innumerable complaints regarding hygiene in the club. I have got complaints of steel wool being found in caramel custard.”
NSCI president Jayantilal Shah did not respond to several calls and messages. Rakesh Malhotra, the club’s secretary, replied to Mirror’s queries via SMS, “Under the garb of freedom of speech people can’t be allowed to play with the reputation and goodwill of the club. The matter is sub-judice so I don’t want to divulge any more details at this point.”
