A storm has erupted within the Indian television fraternity after senior actress and CINTAA General Secretary Upasana Singh, along with members Hetal Parmar and Vikas Verma, made shocking and deeply disturbing allegations against veteran actor Deepak Qakir Kejriwal, accusing him of physical assault, indecent behaviour, and public misconduct during a Republic Day event on January 26.
Speaking at length, an emotionally shaken Upasana Singh described the incident as “absolutely unforgivable,” stating that the alleged altercation unfolded under the national flag on Republic Day, in the presence of senior actors, CINTAA office-bearers, and members of the film and television industry.
According to Upasana, Deepak Kejriwal arrived at the CINTAA Republic Day gathering and immediately turned violent, allegedly pushing and hitting EC member Vikas Verma without provocation. “What I saw was horrifying,” she said. “He pushed Vikas ji from behind, then turned towards me. In full view of everyone, he hit me and slapped me. All our members witnessed it.”
Upasana further claimed that the situation escalated when Kejriwal snatched the microphone from her hands while she was addressing the gathering. “He shouted at me, ‘You don’t speak. Who are you?’ When I told him I am the General Secretary of CINTAA, he arrogantly replied that he was the General Secretary. I told him, ‘You were. I am now.’ That’s when things became uncontrollable.”
The alleged chaos didn’t stop there. Upasana accused Kejriwal of attempting to physically attack Preeti Sapru, CINTAA’s court chairperson, and claimed that senior actor Manoj Joshi was nearly assaulted, only to be saved because Hemant Pandey intervened in time. “His demeanour was aggressive, abusive, and extremely rude,” she said.
What makes the allegations even more explosive is Upasana’s claim that police intervention became necessary. “The police were called. A lady police officer and a senior inspector were present. He misbehaved with them too,” she alleged. Both parties reportedly filed complaints, but Upasana emphasized that CCTV footage and video recordings captured the incident. “He denied hitting Vikas ji, but the police saw the footage. The inspector told him, ‘Don’t lie.’ The recording clearly shows him attacking as soon as he arrived.”
Upasana also revealed that this was not an isolated incident, claiming that CINTAA had previously issued two show-cause notices to Kejriwal. “Because he is 75 years old and unwell, we showed him compassion and gave him concessions. That was our mistake. He continued this behaviour,” she admitted.
Digging deeper, she alleged that Kejriwal frequently posted abusive and inappropriate messages in official WhatsApp groups, often late at night and allegedly under the influence of alcohol. “He targeted our committees, made derogatory remarks, and passed inappropriate comments about Hetal Parmar. Our members work voluntarily. We don’t get paid a single rupee. Yet he kept attacking us.”
Upasana clarified that Kejriwal had served as CINTAA Vice President and was expected to guide the organisation. “Instead of offering constructive suggestions, he kept pointing fingers, creating unrest, and disrespecting colleagues,” she said, adding that complaints had surfaced even during his earlier tenure.
Calling the alleged conduct a blot on the industry, Upasana concluded, “CINTAA is a respected body with over 9,000 members, including the biggest names in the industry. What happened on January 26 is not just misconduct—it is an insult to the organisation, to our members, and to the spirit of Republic Day. We deeply regret that one of our own behaved in such a disgraceful manner.”
As the controversy intensifies and video evidence reportedly exists, the incident has sent shockwaves through television circles, raising urgent questions about accountability, seniority, and behaviour within powerful industry bodies.