Actress Varsha Usgaankar has leveled serious allegations against employees of the Cine and TV Artists Association (SINTA), claiming they are colluding with fellow members Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure. Speaking to a news agency during a visit to her office, Usgaankar expressed frustration over the lack of transparency regarding the organization’s funds.
She stated that employees should be loyal to the organization, not to individual committee members, which appears to be the case with SINTA staff. “The loyalty of any organization’s employees should be towards the organization, not towards a member of the executive committee, as they are not private employees,” she remarked.
Usgaankar further highlighted issues with the organization’s accountant, who allegedly provided evasive responses when asked about fixed deposits and funds, often claiming ignorance or citing absences. “The matter of fixed deposits felt like a robbery to me. This is a trust. It’s the members’ money. How can anyone touch it without their permission?” she emphasized.
The SINTA controversy erupted months ago when 11 out of 21 members of the executive committee resigned, alleging dictatorial practices. This led to a split between factions led by Padmini Kolhapure and Poonam Dhillon, and another group led by Upasana Singh and Sahila Chadha, resulting in a flurry of accusations.
Upasana Singh has accused Kolhapure and Dhillon of breaking into the association’s fixed deposits and withdrawing funds that should have remained frozen amid ongoing disputes about SINTA’s management. In response, Dhillon asserted that SINTA’s financial records are accessible to executive committee members.
In a recent development, a court has issued a show-cause notice to SINTA for contempt of court, instructing the organization not to take any action on the from October 20, where Kolhapure and Dhillon secured the most votes.