CINTAA Row: Upasana Singh Alleges Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure Illegally Moved Documents

An internal conflict within the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) escalated further on Friday after actor Upasana Singh filed a formal police complaint against former president Poonam Dhillon and former vice-president Padmini Kolhapure. The complaint alleges that the duo attempted to illegally transport crucial association documents and belongings in a tempo, just a day before the scheduled official elections. Upasana Singh Reacts to Govinda and Sunita Ahuja’s Marital Feud.

Upasana Singh's Allegations and Police Intervention

The situation unfolded at the CINTAA office premises, where a viral video captured actors Upasana Singh and Priti Sapru in a heated altercation with police officers, demanding the return of papers being removed from the site. Dhillon and Kolhapure were also present during the confrontation.

According to Singh, the incident was brought to her attention by a fellow actor who was passing by the office and spotted the removal of items. "An actor who was passing by called me and told me what was happening," Singh said in an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times. "I immediately reached there and called the police. That is when everything happened."

Singh stated that a formal complaint was subsequently lodged at the Versova police station to initiate an official probe into the matter.

Concerns Over Missing Records Ahead of Polls

The alleged attempt to relocate documents follows previous demands from CINTAA members for an audit into the association's paperwork. "A CINTAA member had raised concerns about irregularities in the documents and demanded a forensic jaanch [investigation]. He felt that something was not right with them," Singh alleged. "After that, today I got to know that Padmini and Poonam were taking out CINTAA documents in a tempo."

Singh questioned the timing of the move, which occurred on the eve of the association's elections. "The elections will happen tomorrow. There is surely something that they are trying to hide. If everything was fine, why would they try to take out these documents?" she added, emphasising that the duo should not have entered the premises once the elections were formally approved. "We were trying to explain to the police that they can't even enter the CINTAA premises now that the elections have been approved. Taking the documents is an illegal move to cover their tracks."

 Escalating CINTAA Crisis

The dispute forms part of a broader ongoing crisis within CINTAA regarding governance and decision-making authority. Tensions intensified in August following the resignation of 11 members, including eight elected executive committee members, who cited unilateral actions taken without adequate consultation. CINTAA President Poonam Dhillon Questions Upasana Singh’s Presence AT FWICE’s ‘Don 3’ Press Meet.

While Dhillon rejected the claims and termed the accusations offensive, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) called for fresh elections scheduled for September 12. Dhillon and Kolhapure challenged the move legally; however, on September 9, the court allowed the elections to proceed, subject to the final outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2026 07:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).