The ongoing dispute within the Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) has escalated, with allegations of documents being removed from its office amid a legal battle and court-mandated elections. The row intensified after videos showing former president Poonam Dhillon, former vice-president Padmini Kolhapure, former general secretary Upasana Singh and others arguing over the attempt to move documents and access to the office surfaced online.
“Upasana Singh, who was my general secretary till a month ago, is shoving her phone in my face and saying, ‘Yes, yes, we will shoot. Poonam hits back at the claim, questioning what irregularities she is referring to and pointing to CINTAA’s financial processes. “I’m the one who suggested that let’s not wait for an audit for one year. Let’s do a quarterly audit. Poonam adds that the only information they did not share was the personal details of donors from the RK show, citing their request for privacy. The veteran actor also alleges that the ongoing dispute has affected CINTAA’s finances, claiming that its bank accounts have been frozen. “Ever since this matter has started we have been taking care of all the CINTAA related funds by our pockets. These people have blocked all our office accounts. She adds that the situation has also affected the association’s ability to provide welfare and medical assistance to members.
Addressing her interaction with Upasana in the viral video, Poonam says the footage does not show what happened immediately before it was recorded. I said, ‘Upasana, no, stop this, don’t do this. So I put my hand on her phone,” she says, denying that she tried to snatch or damage it. “I just held her hand out of the phone and she is screaming from there, ‘Look, look, hold my hand, look at me.’” During her last conversation with us, Upasana had alleged that Poonam and Padmini were trying to hide irregularities in the documents they took away. She says the accounts were regularly presented before the executive committee and that she had proposed more frequent audits. Let’s get the auditor to come every three months, audit everything,” she says. We have not been able to pay people their salaries,” she says.
“Today we have no working bank account.
