Singer Chinmayi, who went to court to fight her allegedly illegal termination from the South Indian Cine Television Artistes and Dubbing Artistes' Union, will now be contesting for the post of President in the upcoming elections in the union. The award-winning singer who filed her nomination on Thursday as part of the Ramarajiyam team, will be directly fighting Radha Ravi for the post of President.
M Muralikumar will be contesting for the post of Secretary from the Ramarajiyam team. Ratnakumar had contested against Radha Ravi during the 2018 elections, heading the Ramarajiyam team.
Speaking to reporters before filing her nomination, Chinmayi said that she was shocked to find out a few days ago that her name had been left out from the voter’s list of the union. “This is contempt of court. We will be taking this matter up with retired Judge Ravi and file our nominations,” she said.
During the previous elections, her name had featured on the list of members who were not permitted to vote in dubbing union elections due to alleged non-payment of the annual fee.
Chinmayi was axed from the union in November 2018, soon after she shared allegations of sexual harassment made by a few women against union President Radha Ravi. Chinmayi had filed a civil suit in February 2019 against the union for firing her without giving her prior notice.
Union President Radha Ravi had claimed in November 2018 that she was terminated because she had not paid her membership fee for the past two years. Chinmayi, however, refuted these claims immediately.
In December 2018, the union told Chinmayi to pay Rs 1.5 lakh and submit an apology letter to be reinstated. But, she refused to do so on grounds of being a member since 2006.
While the court granted interim stay on the ban in April last year, allowing her to work in the meantime, the singer is still fighting the case. Chinmayi was among the frontrunners of the #MeToo movement in India, and the singer has spoken up about having had to suffer professionally for it on a number of occasions.