Aur Koi Raasta Nahi Tha: Shilpa Shinde Admits Sexual Harassment Allegation Against 'Bhabiji' Producer Was False

Television actor Shilpa Shinde has made a startling admission nearly a decade after her acrimonious exit from the popular sitcom Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!, saying that the sexual harassment complaint she filed against producer Sanjay Kohli was false.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by comedian-couple Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa, Shinde revisited the controversy that erupted in 2016 following her departure from the show, where she played the widely popular character Angoori Bhabhi. She said the allegation was made during a period when she felt cornered amid a contractual and payment dispute with the producers.

According to Shinde, she had exited the show after disagreements with the production house over an exclusivity contract and alleged pressure tactics. The dispute escalated into legal battles, industry sanctions and public accusations. She claimed she was threatened with being sidelined from the television industry and was served legal notices running into crores of rupees.

During the podcast, Shinde acknowledged for the first time that the sexual harassment case she lodged against Kohli was "jhooth tha" (false). She said she believed she had no other option at the time as the conflict intensified and she was struggling to secure her pending dues.

The actor said the matter was eventually resolved through a settlement, after which her outstanding payments were cleared. She added that relations with the production team have since normalised and that both sides moved on from the dispute years ago.

The controversy had become one of the biggest disputes in the Indian television industry at the time. In 2017, Shinde filed a police complaint accusing Kohli of sexual harassment after earlier accusing the makers of mental harassment and coercive contractual practices. The allegations were denied by the producer and his wife, producer Binaifer Kohli, who had termed them false.

Following her exit from the show, Shinde became embroiled in a prolonged legal battle with producers' associations and television industry bodies. She later filed defamation cases against several industry organisations, alleging unfair treatment during the dispute.

The revelation has generated widespread discussion within the television industry and on social media, given the seriousness of the original allegations and the actor's public admission nearly ten years later.

Shinde, who later went on to win the reality show Bigg Boss 11, recently returned to the Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! franchise after years away from the show, marking a dramatic turnaround in a dispute that once dominated entertainment headlines.